


Beyond Erebor - The Adventures of The Warrior and The King

by AKThorinson (akdogdriver)



Category: The Hobbit - All Media Types, The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: F/M, Romance, Science Fiction & Fantasy, True Love
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-25
Updated: 2019-09-03
Packaged: 2019-09-26 19:55:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 58,154
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17148116
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/akdogdriver/pseuds/AKThorinson
Summary: The adventures of The Warrior and The King continue. Some take place after the events of Books One & Two, some take place inbetween. Here you will find the story of the retaking of Moria and the coronation of the Queen of Erebor. In the story Beyond Erebor Thorin will finally travel to the homeland of Kaylea Wolf, though not in the way he expects.Some of these were originally posted on my Tumblr blog: thewarriorandtheking





	1. Yuletide in Erebor

**Author's Note:**

> I was reminded recently that Thorin plays the harp, which I always forget about. I decided to work it into my fanfiction and it turned into this little Christmas story. It has everything you expect from the holidays: snow, a warm fire, mulled wine, family drama, songs and presents. Enjoy!

It was a quiet midwinter night on the Lonely Mountain, snow was falling heavily outside the gates of Erebor. Thorin Oakenshield and his family were gathered in one of the private rooms enjoying the warmth of the fire burning brightly in the hearth, the logs crackling merrily. A pot of spiced wine was warming over the fire, the fragrance filling the room. It was one of those rare evenings when they found themselves together. Thorin was sitting at his harp, it had been a long time since he had played, he never seemed to have the time any more. His eldest son Thror was reading a book while his younger brother Durin poked at the fire. The Queen was seated across the room, working at her embroidery with two of her handmaidens while his daughter sat at his feet, entranced by the music. Thorin smiled at her as he played, thinking of all the things he had done in his life he was proudest of his children. Although he been hesitant at the time, he was glad he had been convinced to marry Shurri. He had three heirs to his line whose fitness for succession could not be questioned, now he would brave the scandal and release the Queen from her vows so he could marry the woman he loved. Kaylea Wolf was going to be his wife, she just did not know it yet. Idly he wondered where she was right now, it had been just over nine years since she last came to Erebor. 

As his fingers played over the strings Thorin realized he had started to play the old song about the Misty Mountains. He had not thought about the tune in many years, softly he began to hum along with it and when he started to sing the words, Thror and Durin joined in with him.  
As he was singing Thorin saw his daughter look out the doorway into the hall, her eyes suddenly going wide. Thorin continued to play as he followed her gaze, standing a short distance down the hall was Kaylea Wolf. She was leaning on the wall, scratching the ears of her dire wolf. It was evident she had just arrived as her coat was still wet and she had a soft bag slung over her shoulder. As Thorin came to the last verses of the song Kaylea joined in, her clear voice making a beautiful harmony with Thorin’s deep baritone. She slowly moved forward until the song ended just as she reached the door. Thorin got up to welcome her.  
“My lady, what a welcome surprise it is to see you!”  
Kaylea came into the room and kneeled before Thorin, bowing her head. “My king.”  
He stepped forward, motioning for her to stand up. “You know you do not have to keep doing that,” he whispered softly. Kaylea looked up at him with a soft smile, Thorin offered her his hand and drew her to her feet. He leaned over to kiss her on the cheek, chaste enough that the Queen could not object. Her black wolf trotted into the room and settled himself by the fire.  
“Must you bring that filthy animal in here?” Queen Shurri abruptly stood up, gathering her work to leave.  
Kaylea turned to face her with a smile and bowed low. “Good evening, your majesty,” she said. “ I did not see you there. You are looking well this evening.”  
The Queen paused by the door. She held out her hand to her daughter, who was standing behind Thorin holding onto his clothes. “Come Freya,” she said. “This is no longer a place for a respectable girl.”  
Kaylea’s eyes narrowed. “I assure you I am not contagious, your majesty,” she said evenly. “But I am curious, if you do not allow your daughter to be in scandalous company where does she stay when she visits the Ered Mithrin with you?”  
Shurri gave the tall woman a look that would have burned grass. Thror and Durin glanced at each other; they knew their mother had a lover there, but nobody talked about it. Just as Kaylea was always referred to as a hero from the Battle of the Five Armies, not the King’s Woman. They had never heard anyone throw it in her face like that. Before the Queen could reply, Thorin spoke. “Freya is fine here with me,” he said, an edge to his voice. He scowled at his wife and put a hand on his daughter’s back.  
Shurri gave him a withering look and strode out of the room, followed by her handmaidens. Kaylea watched her go thoughtfully. “I do not believe she likes me very much,” she said.  
Thorin chuckled. “Do not feel bad, she does not like me very much either.” He looked down at his daughter smiling up at him.  
The two princes came over and Kaylea bowed to them. “What did you bring us?” Durin asked, excitement in his voice.  
Thorin frowned at him. “Where are your manners? Kaylea Wolf does not come here just to bring you presents.”  
“No, she comes here to see you, father, ” Durin replied. “We get presents to keep quiet.”  
The King gave his son a dark look but Kaylea laughed. “As it happens, in my country at this time of year it is traditional to give presents. I brought one for each of you,” she looked at the princess, still hiding behind her father. “Including the one I have not yet met.”  
“This is princess Freya,” Thorin said, moving aside. His daughter had been born just after Kaylea had left Erebor the last time, she was almost nine years old now. Freya looked up at the tall woman, so beautiful and strong, the mithril beads in her golden hair shining in the lamplight. She was a little afraid, but did not want her father to know so she stepped forward boldly and nodded properly as Kaylea bowed low to her.  
“A pleasure to meet you, your highness,” Kaylea said.  
Freya’s eyes went from her to the wolf and back. She had never seen a wolf before, she had never imagined they were so large. She loved animals but her mother would not let her have a pet, she had to content herself with befriending the cats in the stables. “Can I pet your wolf?” She asked timidly.  
“Of course,” Kaylea replied. She gestured to Hector who got up and approached the little girl. He lowered his nose so she could pet his head.  
“He is so soft!” Freya exclaimed, running her hand down the wolf’s neck.  
“He just had a bath,” Kaylea said, looking sideways at Thorin. “He is not a bit filthy.” She swung her bag around and reached into it, taking out two long parcels wrapped in leather. “These are for Thror and Durin,” she said.  
Durin took his and Thror came forward, looking up at Kaylea shyly. He thought her so beautiful that he could never look at her long without feeling as though he was staring, which always made him blush. “Thank you, my lady,” he said, quickly turning away to hide his reddening face. Inside the parcels were long knives, black pointed blades with serrations on one side and beautiful polished black handles. Thorin wondered at the handle, he had never seen the like.  
“Thank you, this is a fine blade. What are these made of?” Durin asked, also looking at the handle of his knife.  
“Dragonbone,” Kaylea said. Thorin glanced quickly up at her then down to look at the knife Thror handed him. It was beautifully made, the blade sharper than a razor, the handle smooth and natural in the hand. Thorin handed it back as Kaylea was pulling a red leather wrapped bundle from her bag. She turned to Freya, who was still petting Hector. The wolf had a very long-suffering look on his face and happily went back to lay by the fireplace.  
“This is for you, princess,” Kaylea handed her the bundle. Freya unwrapped it carefully, inside was a long pointed knife with a curved, ivory-colored handle. The little girl turned it over in her hands, marvelling at it. The blade was long and pointed and polished like a mirror, the handle cool in her small hand. Thorin drew a breath when he saw it, that blade was a work of art.  
Kaylea knelt down so her head was closer to the girls. “This is a special knife. The handle is made from the tooth of a dragon, you must take very good care of it. You cannot allow the tooth to get too dry or it will crack. Carry it with you against your body, or keep the handle wrapped in a damp cloth.” She smiled at the princess. “The blade is a bit big for you now, but you will grow.”  
The princess looked at her wide-eyed, then carefully rewrapped the knife and asked her father if she could take it to her room. Thorin nodded and watched her hurry off, a father’s love plain on his face. Daddy’s girl, Kaylea thought to herself. Pity the first man who wants to court her.  
“That was well done,” Thorin said. “I wager she will carry that with her the rest of her life.” He did wonder if Kaylea was being serious, A dragon tooth? How did one come by such a thing? Although knowing Kaylea, she probably slayed dragons in her spare time.  
“She will need it to fend off the suitors,” Kaylea replied with a smile. “When she is older I will give her some lessons in how to use it.” She looked over at the princes, inexpertly sparring with their new knives. Good thing those knives were indestructible.  
Thorin stepped in close against her, sliding and arm around her waist. “So, when do I get my present?”  
Kaylea ran her hand along his waist and into the back of his trousers, pulling him against her. “Later, my king,” she whispered. She looked around the room, warm and cozy after coming in from outside. “I am sorry if I interrupted your family evening.”  
Thorin shrugged, he leaned forward inhaling the smell of her, sage and the shade of pines. He never remembered how much he missed it until she returned to him. “There is nowhere I would rather be than spending a quiet evening with my children and the woman I love.” He went back to sit behind his harp, his fingers playing over the strings. “Will you sing something for me?”  
Kaylea laughed. “Singing is not one of my talents, my king. And I only know the sad songs of soldiers, of loss and leaving home.” She took off her coat and hung it over a chair with her bag, loosening the laces on her tunic. Thror brought her a mug of the warm spice wine they were drinking, handing it to her trying not to stare at the neckline of her garment.  
“Your voice is as beautiful as that of any Elf,” Thorin said. “I have heard them, I know that of which I speak. You start and I will join in.”  
Kaylea looked skeptical, but she always found it hard to deny Thorin. “Very well, you will have a sad song then,” she said, coming to stand beside him. “At least our songs are shorter than yours.” 

And fare thee well to Gronland,  
The land my native home.  
Breaks my heart to see friends part,  
Then the teardrops fall.

On my way to Arrakeen,  
Will I ever see home once more?  
Leaving behind the one I love,  
Odin’s green sunwashed shore.

The ship she lies, loaded and tied,  
Standing by the cay.  
The moon is bright, shining down each night,  
As we sail out over the sea.  
Many ships have been lost,  
Many lives the cost,  
On the journey that lies before.  
With a tear in my eye, I am bidding goodbye,  
To Odin’s green sunwashed shore. 

So fare thee well, my own true love,  
I think of you night and day.  
A place in my mind you surely will find,  
Although I am far away.

I be alone, far away from home,  
I think of the good times once more.  
‘Till the day I can make my way back  
To Odin’s green sunwashed shore. 

And now the ship is on the way,  
May Balder protect us all.  
With the wind in our sails,  
We surely cannot fail on the voyage to join the war.  
My parents and friends, they waved to the end,  
“Til I could see them no more.  
Then I took a chance, took one last glance  
At Odin’s green sunwashed shore. 

After she sung a few lines, Thorin picked up the tune and began to play. The princes listened intently, never having heard Kaylea sing before. Freya came back in to take her seat at the feet of her father. She looked over at the wolf, he was curled into a ball with his tail over his nose, his yellow eyes watching his mistress.  
Hearing the sound of Kaylea’s voice as she was passing brought Dis in to listen. When Kaylea finished she came forward to greet her. “You have a fine voice, lass. Why have we not heard it before? But surely this is a time for a less melancholy tune!”  
She asked her brother for a tune from the Blue Mountains, Thorin was happy to oblige. Kaylea often had to remind herself Dis and the King were near the same age, with his raven-black hair and unlined face Thorin looked younger than her son. He still had not started aging again since the shot of boosterspice she had given him so many years ago. Together they drank wine and sang songs of their old home, Kaylea joining in on the chorus when there was one. The time passed quickly and the hour grew late before they knew it. The princes had already turned in when Kaylea put a hand on Thorin’s shoulder nodding toward Freya, sleeping curled up against Hector.  
Dis smiled and gently picked the princess up, so as not to wake her. “It has been a long time since I thought of those old songs, I quite lost track of time. I will put her to bed,” she said. “Good night to you both.”  
Thorin pulled the cover over his harp then looked at Kaylea with a mischievous grin. “May I escort you to your quarters, my lady?”  
“Of course, my king,” Kaylea grabbed her coat and bag. “Let us walk out over the gate.”  
“If it pleases you,” Thorin said, offering her his arm. They walked arm in arm through a series of corridors to the gate, it was late so they saw no one except a few guards. When they reached the top of the gate Kaylea paused to stand at the parapet. The snow was falling less heavily now and there were breaks in the clouds, allowing the moon to cast its pale light over the white landscape. The lights of Dale could be seen in the distance.  
“I love the snow,” she said. “It makes travel more difficult but I love the quiet, the way it makes everything new and beautiful.”  
“Yes, it does,” Thorin replied, he was not looking at the landscape but at the flakes of snow in Kaylea’s hair, catching the light of the braziers like tiny diamonds. He stepped behind her and put his arms around her lean body, interlacing his fingers over her stomach. Lightly he kissed her neck, then looked out over her shoulder. The land did look soft and clean, sleeping under its new blanket. Kaylea leaned back against him, putting her hands on his and relaxing into his arms. She turned her head to look at him, the King had snow in his hair.  
“Do you have any idea how much I love you?”  
“Enough to marry me, and live by my side?” Thorin asked hopefully.  
Kaylea sighed. “Are you ever going to stop asking me that?”  
“Just as soon as you say yes.” Thorin turned her in his arms and pulled her mouth down to his. They embraced each other for a long moment, the snow falling lightly around them. Thorin reached up and hooked his finger over the top two laces of her tunic, pulling them out one after the other. “Can I unwrap my present now?”  
Kaylea laughed softly. “I thought you would never ask,” she took his hand and led the way back into Erebor.


	2. The Queen of Erebor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> For many years Thorin has dreamed of the day when he will make the Warrior he loves his Queen. Now that the power of Sauron is defeated and the ancient kingdom of Moria retaken, that day has come at last.  
> 

The hour was late, all the city of Erebor was sleeping. Kaylea Wolf was writing reports, her feet propped on a chair and Ajax snoring by the fire when she heard Thorin’s soft knock. She got up and went to the door, but did not open it.  
“My king, what are you doing?” She asked through the door.  
“I cannot sleep,” came the response. “Not knowing you are here and not with me.”  
“You cannot come in. It is very unlucky for the bride and groom to see each other the night before the wedding.”  
She heard Thorin sigh, the door creaked. Kaylea put her hands on it, she could almost feel him leaning other side. “Let me in,” he said.  
She did want to open the door, but she also felt it was important to do the thing properly. “This is an old tradition of my people. You do want everything to be perfect for tomorrow? Spending this night apart is part of that.” She could feel Thorin shift his weight, she leaned against the door closing her eyes and feeling for his presence. Inhaling she could just catch his scent.  
“I love you, my king. Now go to bed.”  
“I love you, my lady. If you will not let me in, can we sit and talk awhile?”  
“You must not sit there very long. My brother is sure to come by to see if I am behaving and run you off.”  
She heard Thorin laugh softly. “I would like to see him try.” She heard him slide down the door, it creaked as he leaned against it. Kaylea sat down with her back to Thorin’s. They talked for some time, about the wedding, the unusually warm weather, the forge that needed repair, just passing the time.  
“I want to see you,” Thorin said. Kaylea smiled to herself.  
“Not tonight. The next time you see me you will be crowning me Queen of Erebor.”  
“Ah, I suppose that is worth waiting for,” Kaylea could hear the smile in his voice. Thorin stood up. “If you will not let me in I should try to get some sleep,” he said. Kaylea stood as well, pressing her body to the door, feeling Thorin do the same on the other side. “Goodnight, my love.”  
“Goodnight, my king.” Kaylea listened to his footsteps moving away, so wishing she could open the door and call him back. 

Kensie Graham watched Thorin walk away from the shadow of an archway along the gallery. He was glad to see Kaylea had not let him in, it was important to honor old traditions. Kensie liked this King Under the Mountain, he and Kaylea were well-suited to each other. They were obviously shared a deep intimacy, like young lovers the way they could not keep their hands off each other. Kensie had known Kaylea almost all her life, she had never had much luck in love but this time it seemed she had got it right. Privately he wondered if Thorin knew what he was in for by marrying Kaylea, she said they had talked about it but Kensie wondered if he really understood. He stepped out onto the galley to return to his quarters, rather looking forward to giving his sister away tomorrow. The warrior and the King, he thought to himself. One thing was certain, their future will never be boring. 

Hours before the ceremony was set to begin Kaylea opened her door to find Princess Dis and a herd of handmaidens waiting outside. She let them in with an amused look, wondering just what she had got herself into by agreeing to this. Two of the ladies were carrying her dress, two more the veil, another a small carved chest with several drawers, the last had her shoes and a soft canvas bag. This was the first time Kaylea had seen the dress, there was some kind of delay making the fabric and it had only just been finished. It did look beautiful, made of some shiny silk the exact blue of her eyes with gold threads running through it in irregular patterns, like veins of gold. The veil was a gauzy fabric the same color that glittered with tiny diamonds. Thorin’s sister had planned the whole wedding, taking charge as soon as she knew Kaylea was not familiar with all the Dwarvish customs. To Kaylea she had become almost a mother, though she was younger than Thorin she now looked much older, her hair grey, her face deeply lined. Dis stood back and looked her up and down, all business.  
“Ready to get started?” Without waiting for a reply she gestured toward a chair, Kaylea sat down and the Princess started working on her hair. She left the braids Thorin had given her but combed out of the rest of her golden hair and proceeded to rebraid it in a much more elaborate style. Small braids that started at her temples twisted together and adorned with jeweled beads. When she was finished she reached into the canvas bag and took out a plain-looking circlet, which she placed on Kaylea’s head. Dis walked around her, carefully inspecting her handiwork.  
Have to make sure the crown fits, Kaylea thought to herself. Wondering once again how Thorin had talked her into this.  
Satisfied, Dis removed the circlet and moved on to the dress. Kaylea was surprised to see the stitching of the bodice was open on one side. The handmaids held the dress so she could step into it and brought it up over her shoulders. Once Kaylea had her arms through the half sleeves one of the women produced a needle and thread to close up the side, she was sewing it so tight Kaylea wondered if she was going to be able to breathe. But the dress did look spectacular, fitted like a second skin from her shoulders to her hips, where it flared into a long train. The neckline crossed low over the curve of her breasts then met at a point deep between. The gold threads made the dress shimmer in the light everytime she moved. As the woman was finishing the sewing Dis moved to open the chest they had brought, revealing a wide array of jewelry, the stones flashing in the lamplight.  
Kaylea gave her a long-suffering look. “Really?”  
Dis put her hands on her hips. “When you get married in your own dusty country you can wear that black outfit and riding boots for all I care. Today you are going to be crowned Queen of Erebor. For one day at least you can look the part.”  
Kaylea sighed and nodded, suitably chastised. She wondered if Thorin was going to faint when he saw her. Once Dis had put the jewelry on Kaylea had to admit she had chosen it well. The necklace was a series of tiny blue gems and chain, the bracelets matching circlets of tiny stones. Kaylea was so striking she would outshine most jewelry, the small gems made her look like a goddess stepped down to earth still wearing her web of stars. There was a knock on the door just as one of the handmaids was fitting the delicate circlet that held the veil into her hair, light as a feather it flowed far behind her.  
“That is my call to get ready,” Dis said. Her hair was already done, she just needed to change her dress. She took Kaylea’s hands in hers, looking at her approvingly. “You are a vision, lass.”  
Kaylea smiled. “Thank you, Princess. For your friendship, and your hard work. Only you could have made this old warrior into a Queen.”  
Dis laughed. “You hardly need any help from me! Take good care of my brother, will you? He has been looking forward to this day for almost a hundred years.”  
She turned and left, taking the handmaids with her as they also needed to get changed. For a moment Kaylea was alone with Ajax. Her wolf was stretched out on the bed, regarding her with a very bored expression. Kaylea stepped into her shoes and looked in the mirror, hardly recognising herself. It seemed she had a bit of time so she decided to see if she could sit down in the dress. As long as she kept her body straight it was not too uncomfortable. She leaned back, making sure not to crease her veil and closed her eyes. So much had happened in the past few months she had been back in Middle Earth. The Pelennor Fields, the Black Gate, then Moria. Now Thorin was holding her to her word, that they would get married in a proper ceremony after Sauron had been defeated.  
Her soldiers were on their way home, only her brother Kensie and her aide Aramsham had insisted on coming to Erebor. Kaylea was glad to have them here with her, it was like having a breath of air from home amongst all the Dwarves. It had been much remarked on by the Elves that Kensie and his brother Ian looked very much like the ancient kings of Numenor, which she was sure was not an accident. Kaylea and the Graham brothers were not really siblings of course, but they were all part of Lord Blackwolf’s genetic engineering program. The twins had been adopted into one of the Dorsai’s oldest families and were now the heads of that house, when Kaylea came along they had welcomed her as a sister. Kensie had been adamant he was giving her away at the wedding. 

There was a heavy knock on the door, it was Kensie Graham. Kaylea rose to greet him. He came into the room and stared at his adopted sister.  
“Wow. Just wow,” he said, then he grinned. “I am so documenting this.” He pulled out his handheld to take some pictures. “What have you done with Kaylea Wolf?”  
“I do feel like a different person,” she laughed. “Maybe I am.”  
Kensie looked very dashing in a Middle Earth version of his dress uniform, black leather and heavy cloth. Tall and handsome, with his close-cropped dark hair, blue eyes and easy smile he was sure to charm a few Dwarvish women today. Kensie chuckled as he snapped pictures. After a moment he put his handheld away and came to stand before her.  
“Wait until the King gets a look at you. The way that man loves you…” his voice trailed off. “I don’t know if you realize what a rare and precious thing it is. Your life is forever changed. Most people will go their whole lives and not know a love like that.”  
Kaylea looked at him thoughtfully. “Thorin has changed me, you are right. I love him like I have never loved anyone else. I think I loved him the moment I laid eyes on him,” Kaylea smiled, remembering. “I fought it for a long time, but I always knew I couldn’t let him go. I never expected he would actually make me his Queen but he is a man who gets what he wants.” She looked down at her dress.  
Kensie laughed. “He is certainly the first man able to charm you into marrying him. I think he is perfect for you.”  
There was a sound of trumpets from somewhere in the Hall.  
“That’s our cue,” Kensie said. As soon as he spoke the handmaids who were going to carry her train were knocking. Kensie offered her his arm.  
“Breathing in this dress is going to be a challenge,” Kaylea said, putting her arm through his. Kensie chuckled as he took her out the door into the Hall. The great halls of Erebor were filled to bursting this day, everyone wanted to see the warrior in black dressed for her wedding. There were many come from Dale, and also Dwarves from each of the Seven Kingdoms. Kaylea was well-known to most in the city, she had been coming to Erebor for almost eighty years now, and many had admired her beauty from afar. The King’s first wife was well remembered by all, the mother of his children and a graceful lady in her our right, but she had been gone many years now. His subjects were happy to see the King crown as Queen the woman they knew he really loved. As she walked along the gallery with Kensie, Kaylea found herself feeling very nervous. There was no reason for it, but this big ceremony put her on edge. She was used to living her life in the shadows away from the spotlight, all this attention made her uncomfortable. When they started the walk to the throne and all eyes were on her, Kaylea felt as nervous as she had ever been in her life.  
Thorin was waiting at the foot of his throne, Dain next to him. Dwalin, his son Thror and his nephew Fili stood to his left, Dis, Freya and Aramsham on his right. He was resplendent in suit of dark blue velvet and matching silk shirt, his long coat lavishly embroidered with golden thread, his wide golden belt studded with gems. On his head was the raven crown of Erebor. When Thorin looked up and saw Kaylea approaching his heart skipped a beat. She looked more beautiful than he could have ever imagined. Even in this moment he could hardly believe this amazing woman was going to be his Queen, after all the years she had refused him now he would finally place a crown on her head. When they reached him Kensie took her hand and placed it in the King’s, then they turned to face Dain. As soon as Thorin took her hand Kaylea felt immediately calm, she smiled at him, feeling the little thrill she always got when Thorin touched her, her nerves vanishing.  
Dain drew himself up and started with a speech about the responsibilities of marriage. He almost outshone the King Under the Mountain in his dark red, jewel-studded coat. The ceremony was in a kind of ancient Khuzdul Kaylea was unfamiliar with, she could follow the general meaning but many of the words were strange to her. The first part of the vows was about possessions and works that each partner brought into the union, and how such was to be distributed. Kaylea was amused that Dwarves put such complicated legal wording in their wedding vows, though she did not understand all the words she knew from rehearsals when to say “I do.” Dwalin presented the rings which each placed on the other’s finger with a vow to cherish their partner above all others and above all gems of the earth. Dain finished the ceremony by wrapping a silk cloth lightly around their wrists. Then Kaylea turned and knelt before Thorin. Thror came forward with a velvet pillow, on it a smaller, more delicate version of the raven crown that Thorin wore. The King took it in both hands and carefully placed it on her head. Then he took her hand and raised her up to the sound of cheering throughout the Hall.  
“Long live the Queen of Erebor!” He said. The shout was taken up by all in the Hall. “Long live the Queen! Long live the Queen!” They stood together for a moment, acknowledging the cheers of those assembled. The handmaids hurried to remove her veil now that the ceremony was over. Thorin looked at his wife, his heart spilling over with joy.  
“Today I am the happiest man in Middle Earth, my love,” he said, taking her hands in his. They stood looking at each other for a moment, then the King took his Queen by the arm to take her to the wedding feast. As he guided Kaylea down the stairs Thorin would not stop staring at her, it began to make her self-conscious.  
“What is it?” Kaylea finally asked. Thorin paused, he reached to touch the crown on her head, ran his hand lightly over her ear cuffs, the wide necklace, down her arm to the bracelets.  
“For so long I have dreamed of adorning you like this...you look so beautiful. I believe I am falling in love with you all over again. Please tell me you will wear them again for me?”  
Kaylea smiled at him, feeling a bit embarrassed. “As long as I do not have to wear them every day.”  
“Not every day, but occasionally?” Thorin asked hopefully, continuing down the stairs.  
Kaylea sighed. “You know there is nothing I can deny you, my king. Of course I will wear them again for you, but next time with a dress I can breathe in.”  
Thorin leaned over, looking pointedly at her cleavage. “I must confess, that dress is making me crazy,” he said softly. “How am I supposed to make it through dinner?”  
Kaylea smiled at him. “They sewed me into it, you are going to have to rip it off.”  
Thorin rolled his eyes, sliding his arm around his wife. “Now you are just teasing me!”  
Kaylea leaned close to him. “Would I do that, my husband?” It was not Dwarvish custom to kiss after the ceremony, but now that they were on the way to dinner Kaylea could not resist any more. She stopped and drew Thorin to her, relishing the taste of him, the feel of his arms.  
“Now, now, you two! Plenty of time for that later!” It was Dain, walking behind them. He leaned forward to speak in Thorin’s ear. “Not that I blame you, cousin.” He walked around, grinning at them.  
Thorin swung Kaylea to the side of the passage, letting the others walk past as he kissed her again, his hands travelling over her dress. “Are you wearing anything under this?”  
“Not a thing,” Kaylea whispered in his ear, her hands inside his coat moving over his thin shirt.  
Thorin drew a quick breath through his teeth. “Do you think anyone will notice if we miss dinner?”  
Kaylea smiled wickedly at him, her fingers tracing inside his belt. “You wanted the big ceremony, now you have to play the part, husband.”  
“You are killing me, wife!” 

The wedding feast was a happy affair, once it started the Dwarves got up and wandered around as was their custom. There was music and laughter and much good food. It was only the second time in the formal meals they had shared together that Kaylea was seated next to Thorin. They found themselves often holding hands, several times Thorin leaned over to kiss her neck, his hand finding its way into her lap, stroking her thigh through her dress. Kensie sat next to Dis and whatever he was saying had her laughing and blushing all evening. Kaylea was interested to watch the Princes from the other families making eyes at Thorin’s daughter. There was one from the Blue Mountains she seemed genuinely attracted to. He even came over and spoke to her briefly. Kaylea noticed her eyes also often went to Aramsham, normally it was Kensie that had that effect on women. Kaylea did not know if Thorin noticed, he was busy telling stories and arguing politics as usual.  
It was near midnight before the two of them found themselves alone in the King’s apartments. As soon as the door was closed, Thorin was pressing her against it, kissing her deeply, passionately, his hand working its way under her dress. She gasped as Thorin slid his finger into her, massaging her sex with his thumb. She leaned back, her crown hitting the wall with a dull clunk.  
“Let me get all this off,” she whispered. Thorin stepped back, holding onto her hand. He led her over to the table where there were two velvet-lined boxes. Kaylea gladly took her crown off and laid it in its box. Thorin did the same. He paused, looking at them for a moment.  
“My grandfather wore this crown every day,” he said thoughtfully, running his fingers over it. “I did too when I first returned to Erebor. I think this is but the fifth time it has been out of this box since the Battle of the Five Armies.”  
Kaylea smiled. “I once told you a crown does not make a king, it is only a symbol. A true King does not need to remind himself that he is one.”  
Thorin nodded, closing the boxes. “That is very true.” He took his coat off and hung it over a chair then stepped and took Kaylea in his arms, kissed her again passionately. “Now to get you out of this dress.”  
Kaylea reached down and slid one of her throwing knives out of its ankle sheath. She handed it to Thorin and and then started to remove her necklace, but he caught her hand. “You can leave that on,” he said softly, running his hand over the gems. Kaylea smiled, looking at him curiously. Though they had been together many years, Kaylea was only just beginning to understand the role that jewelry played between Dwarves when it was worn by a lover. Thorin had been shy to speak about it, it was only because she knew him so well she began to notice his disappointment when she took off the jewels he had made for her before going to bed. Now that she knew Thorin enjoyed it she usually left them on, but she wanted to be careful with what she was wearing tonight, they had clearly been in his family for generations.   
Thorin looked down at the knife she had handed him, then up at her. He raised his eyebrows. “I thought you were joking.”  
Kaylea shook her head, smiling. “The seam on the side. I would let you tear it off but I expect you may want me to wear this dress again at our wedding on Dorsai.”  
Thorin grinned and felt for the seam, the thin knife split the stitching with a series of soft pops. Kaylea inhaled deeply for the first time in hours, she had no idea how the court ladies could stand it. Thorin lifted the dress off her shoulders and she stepped out of it and into his arms, reaching down to unbuckle his belt. Thorin pulled her close and kissed her neck, then worked his way down, his hands moving over her naked body, the need was intense for both of them. He pulled his shirt off over his head. Kaylea undid the buttons on his pants and reached in to grasp him as Thorin picked her up and set her on the table. She lay back and guided him, arching her back as he pushed into her. He leaned forward for a moment, kissing her breasts then began to move with long, deep thrusts. Thorin straightened up, pulling Kaylea’s hips to him, he kept his rhythm slow not wanting to finish too quickly. He felt Kaylea getting close and quickened his pace, his fingers exploring her sex. She grabbed hold of his arms, her gasp becoming a kind of growl in her throat, her climax short and intense. Thorin thrust into her hard, coming just a few beats after her. He lay forward, his head on her chest. She put her arms around him, stroking his hair.  
“It feels so good to make love to my Queen,” Thorin sighed heavily. .  
Kaylea smiled. “Not finished yet, I hope.”  
Thorin shifted his head to look at her. “Do I look tired?” He brought himself up on his elbows. “Time to kick that wolf of yours off the bed.”

It was late the next morning when Kaylea felt Thorin stir. They were laying back to back, Kaylea had not needed to sleep so she was working on her report to Blackwolf. She felt Thorin wake, pressing against her. He rolled over, reached up to brush her hair away from her shoulder and kissed her neck, then laid his head against hers.  
“What are you working on?”  
“Field report,” Kaylea replied, leaning against him. Thorin looked at her tablet, blinking his eyes.  
“How is it I can read that?” He asked.  
“Pilot had to give you a course of our language so you could work that device I gave you.”  
Thorin scanned the screen, reading. “You are going to stay here four weeks?”  
Kaylea smiled. “That is four weeks his time, almost six here. I think I deserve a bit of time off.” She reached back to touch his face, stroking his beard. “There is no one I would rather spend it with than you, my king.”  
Thorin tightened his arm around her, smiling. He kissed her shoulder. “I am so glad, I expected you to be rushing off as usual”  
Kaylea put her tablet down then moved to throw the covers back but Thorin held her tight.  
“No, you stay,” he said. “This is my first day with my Queen, today you stay in bed with me.”  
Kaylea chuckled. “And what if I want something to eat?”  
Thorin pointed to the side of the headboard. “There is a lever there you can pull and someone will come and bring you what you want. You do not have to wander around the kitchens anymore, you are now the Queen of Erebor.”  
She sighed. “That is the part of the job I am not looking forward to, having everyone bow and scrape. I prefer to do things for myself.”  
Thorin rolled onto his back, exasperated. “Only you would think of being my Queen as a job.”  
Kaylea rolled over to hug him. “You were born into it, for you it is second nature. For me, it is a role I have to learn. You will understand when you come with me to the Empire.”  
“When you return there you will speak to this lord of yours?”  
“Yes,” she nodded. “The negotiations will take time, but I will return as soon as I can. Hopefully within this year, though it may be longer if events overtake me.”  
“I confess, I am very much looking forward to seeing your world,” Thorin smiled at her, putting an arm around her shoulders, he rolled the gems of her necklace between his fingers. “But for now I will teach you how to be a proper Queen of Erebor.”  
“What is the first lesson?” Kaylea asked. For answer Thorin drew her to him and kissed her, she savored the feel of his soft beard on her face, his strong arms enfolding her. Not for the first time she wondered why she had waited so long to marry this man. Maybe staying in bed all day was not such a bad idea after all.


	3. A Winter Tale

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Imagine being snowed in with Thorin...Thought it might make a good subject for a Warrior and The King story. I have been looking for a way to work Radagast into their tale, since he is my favorite wizard.

The snow was falling more heavily now, swallowing the sound of the horse’s footfalls. The trees bent their branches over the path, heavy with their wintry burden. The quiet of the forest was almost palpable, as if it was holding its breath. The afternoon was wearing on, it would be dark soon. Thorin Oakenshield was about to ask Kaylea Wolf if she was sure of the direction when a little cabin appeared in front of them. It looked well-kept and tidy, firewood neatly stacked in the shed on the side, the windows shuttered. Snow was drifted against the door, no one had been here recently.  
Kaylea gave Thorin a hand down and dismounted her horse. Hector appeared out of the woods, carefully sniffing around. Thorin kicked the snow away from the door and opened it, gave the interior a quick glance. Low bed, table and chairs, woodstove with kindling stacked beside. He grabbed a broom from inside the door to sweep off the little porch.  
“I will get a fire started, if you want to see to your horse,” Thorin said, putting aside the broom to grab an armful of firewood. Kaylea nodded and led her horse under the shed. She rubbed him down and gave him a ration of grain then headed inside. Thorin had a fire going, the stove already beginning to radiate heat. Kaylea added her coat to the rack next to Thorin’s, left her saddle by the door. Her wolf followed her in and curled up next to the bed. Kaylea put coffee on to boil, then stood beside the stove warming her hands. Thorin came up beside her, he took hold of her hand, interlacing his fingers with hers.  
“It is funny,” Thorin said. “For most of my life I dreamed of the halls of Erebor, I swore when I returned I would never leave. Now when I am there I dream of being in a cabin in the woods with you.”  
Kaylea laughed. “I am quite sure that is not true! There is no Dwarf who prefers the woods to his halls of stone.”  
“I prefer to be with you, my love,” Thorin drew her close, he moved a wisp of hair off her face. “One day I hope you will join me in my stone halls.”  
“Why must we always have this same conversation?” Kaylea rolled her eyes. “You already have a Queen who has given you two beautiful children, you have no cause to release her from her vows. And I cannot remain in Middle Earth with you.”  
“I have cause to…” Thorin began, but just then Hector gave a low growl, his eyes focused on the door. He stood up, his hackles partly raised. There was a swift knock. Thorin and Kaylea looked at each other, Kaylea put a hand on her sword and moved within striking distance of the door. Thorin lifted the latch and opened it.  
On the step was an old man, wrapped in a heavy brown cloak, his hood pulled low against the weather. He was wearing a mantle of snow and carrying a soft satchel, in his hand was a long wooden staff.  
“Good evening! I am glad to see you are here,” The strange figure said. “May I impose to warm myself by your fire for a little while?”  
Thorin stepped aside so the man could enter, “Of course,” he said politely. “Please take a chair. We have just arrived, we should have coffee in a few minutes.”  
“That would be splendid,” said the man. He threw back his hood and shook his cloak, what Thorin had taken to be snow on his shoulder was actually a white owl, which also shook itself, then looked around blinking its yellow eyes. As he went to shut the door Thorin caught a glimpse of a large animal in the trees.  
“There is a bear outside,” he said to Kaylea.  
“Do not worry, she is with me,” said the visitor. He was quite tall and lean, his long brown beard streaked with grey. He wore a felt hat with a narrow brim and a sprig of holly stuck in the band. Although there was much grey in his hair he seemed somehow young, his green eyes sparkling. The man turned to Hector and bowed,“I am sorry I startled you, Master Wolf.” The wolf lowered his head in response. He took a seat by the stove, smoothing his cloak. An ermine poked its head up out of his hood and looked around, then disappeared. “Well, this is very nice!” The stranger exclaimed. “It is good to know that there are still some who know how to treat a fellow traveller in these dark times.”  
Thorin looked the man up and down, frowning. “The old ways are not yet forgotten. With whom do we have the pleasure of sharing our fire, if I may ask? And why are you travelling around with a bear?” Bears always made Thorin think of Beorn, he had never really believed the woodsman was the last of his kind.  
The man smiled at Thorin, his eyes twinkling. “A better question is what is Thorin the King of Erebor doing in a trapper’s cabin in the forest?”  
Thorin frowned at him, but before he could answer Kaylea spoke.  
“My king, this is Radagast the Brown. The bear often travels with him”  
‘The Brown wizard? I thought he was a myth,” said Thorin.  
Radagast looked offended, but then shrugged. “Just because I do not spend my time meddling in the affairs of Men like others of my order...ah, well! Perhaps it is better to be a mystery.”  
Kaylea took three mugs off the shelf and poured the coffee. She offered one to Radagast who took it gratefully. He held the mug in both hands, sipping at it cautiously.  
“This is very good. Thank you!”  
“Do you know your bag is squeaking?” Kaylea asked, looking at the bag in the wizard’s lap that was moving in two different directions.  
“Yes, yes,” said Radagast, putting down his cup to reach into his bag and draw out two tiny brown kits. “Their mother was killed by a hunting party yesterday. They are too young to make it on their own, they are the second reason I am in this part of the forest tonight.” He cradled the kits in his arms, speaking softly to them in a strange language. They fussed and wined but soon fell asleep. The wizard sat rocking the tiny creatures tenderly, a soft smile on his lips.  
“The second reason,” said Thorin, looking at the wizard questioningly. “What is the first?”  
“That would be you, your majesty,” said Radagast, carefully placing the wolverine kits back in his bag. He picked up his coffee again and sipped at it. “This really is very good!”  
Kaylea chuckled at the wizard. “What business do you have with the King Under the Mountain? The Dwarves are a bit outside your purview, are they not?”  
“Yes, thank the Goddess,” Radagast reached into his robe, searching his pockets. “I prefer to have as little to do with them as possible, such odd people. Only interested in metal and stone. But I do have something that belongs to the King, when I heard you were in the forest I could not miss the chance.” He brought out a heavy gold ring and presented it to Thorin. “I believe this is yours.”  
Thorin was scowling at the wizard’s words but when he saw the ring his eyes went wide. He took it almost reverently, inspecting it carefully. “This was my grandfather’s,” he said softly, almost to himself. “However did you come by it?”  
Radagast took a deep breath. “A crow brought it to me years ago. Found it in the rocks before the gates of Moria, they do love shiny things. I have been meaning to return it to you. I set out several times to do so, but something else always seemed to come up. And I do so hate to travel outside the forest.”  
Thorin wanted to give the wizard a piece of his mind, How could he have kept this ring? But Kaylea spoke first. “Thank you, Radagast,” she said. “The King is very happy to have this returned.”  
“Well, now that I have delivered it I must get on,” the wizard said. “I am already very late to be on my way home.” He drained his coffee cup. “Thank you for allowing me to warm up a bit.”  
Radagast rose and walked to the door, he put his hand on the latch and was about to open it when he turned, looking from Thorin to Kaylea and back. He had known Kaylea Wolf for many years, a deadly fighter with the grace and golden hair of the Fair Folk. The King was not at all what the wizard had expected. Taller than a Dwarf should be, with his close-cropped beard and fine features he looked quite different from most of his people. They seemed an odd couple, but they definitely were one, judging by the matching braids.  
“Why are the two of you here in the forest?” The wizard asked.  
“We were just out for a ride and were overtaken by the weather,” Kaylea said lightly.  
Radagast raised an eyebrow, not convinced. “I suppose it is no business of mine, you are quite right. Congratulations, by the way,” he looked at Thorin closely. “I thought you were older.”  
“Congratulations for what?” Thorin asked, suddenly remembering why he hated dealing with wizards. Talking to them always made you feel as though you were having two unrelated conversations at the same time.  
“On your wedding, of course,” he looked at Kaylea, touching the front of his ear where her braids fell. “Are you not the Queen of Erebor?”  
Kaylea gave Thorin a sideways glance. “I am not. It is rather a long story.”  
Radagast cocked his head, as if the owl on his shoulder was speaking in his ear. “I am reminded not to speak about things which have not yet happened, I do sometimes get ahead of events. I wish you a very good evening.” He opened the door and vanished into a whirlwind of snowflakes.  
Thorin and Kaylea looked at each other. “I wonder what that was all about,” Kaylea mused.  
Thorin shook his head, chuckling. “I cannot imagine,” he said. But his mind went to the vision he had seen in the Mirror of Galadriel. Kaylea in a wedding dress, jeweled beads in her hair, the matching rings. It was a good sign if the wizard had seen it as well.

They busied themselves preparing dinner. Thorin skinned the two coneys they had surprised earlier and cut them up, Kaylea set to work on the potatoes and vegetables. As in everything they did together the two of them worked in harmony, knowing intuitively when to give the other space on the small counter.  
“Is he always like that?” Thorin asked Kaylea, turning to toss the scraps to Hector.  
“Radagast cares little for the worlds of Men, his interest is in the beasts and the birds and the living things of Middle Earth,” she replied. “He does not talk much to people, so he is a bit less polished than Gandalf.”  
“I do think I like him better,” said Thorin. “He seems a bit less self-important.” 

Some time later, when the dishes from dinner were put away Thorin and Kaylea were sitting on the floor by the stove. Kaylea had found a bearskin under the bed and spread it out against a bundle of blankets, Thorin sat down and patted the hide in front of him. As she settled down he stretched his legs out on either side and started to take out her braids. Kaylea always did them carefully before coming to Erebor but they never passed Thorin’s inspection, he always looked at them disapprovingly until he could redo them himself. He had finished the first one and was braiding the second when Kaylea asked to see the ring Radagast had brought. It was heavy and looked quite old, plain gold with the sigil of the house of Durin on it.  
“You have one like this,” she said, handing it back to Thorin. He nodded.  
“I made another when I thought this one was lost. This is the King’s signet ring, the original one, handed down from Nain himself. I am very glad to have it back.” He tied the bead to the bottom of Kaylea’s braid and sat back, drawing her close against him. She leaned back, watching the fire dance through the window on the stove and feeling very content in his arms.  
“When Radagast brought that ring out I thought for a moment it might be a different one,” she said.  
“I confess, I thought the same,” Thorin replied. He was silent for a time. “If it had been that one, I would have told him to keep it.”  
“You do not desire it?”  
“I saw what it did to my grandfather, what the gold created with it did to me. I still remember waking after you healed me and thinking what a complete idiot I had been. No, I do not want it.” Thorin sighed. “It is out of my reach now, and good riddance.”  
“This is why you are a better King than your grandfather, than your father would have been,” Kaylea said. “You are stronger, your vision is unclouded.”  
“You have made me a better king,” Thorin replied. “Taught me how to look at problems differently, how to play the larger political game...and a few other things,” he kissed her neck, then gently nibbled her ear. Kaylea squirmed, smiling, her hands squeezing his. “Did I find a sensitive spot?” Thorin nibbled at her ear again, Kaylea turned in his arms and put a hand behind his head bringing her lips to his. This was one of those moments she wished she could just stretch out forever. The dark winter night, the cozy cabin, alone with the man she loved. If only life were so simple.


	4. From Mordor to Moria

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This has been the hardest Warrior and The King story I have yet written. It fought me every step of the way, to the point I have almost thrown it in the trash several times. However, I felt there was enough good in it I have kept working on it. Now that I have finally (sort of) got it to work, I decided to go ahead and post it and let the readers decide.  
> I originally wrote quite a bit about the events at the Pelennor Fields and the Black Gate but ultimately decided there was little I could add to the original and decided to summarize instead.  
> This one is rated Mature Readers for sexual situations. It is only one scene and it is easy to see coming - if it is not your thing skip to the next paragraph break.

I. AFTER THE PELENNOR FIELDS

Kaylea Wolf rolled with the blow and came up on her knees, just in time to duck to avoid the huge orc’s mace. She could feel the edge graze her hair as it passed over her head. She rolled forward to reach her sword and got her hand on the hilt just as the creature stepped on the blade. Kaylea drew a knife and was about to throw it when she saw the point of a sword appear in the orc’s chest. The creature fell forward beside her, standing behind it was Thorin Oakenshield.  
He grinned at her, pushing his helm back. “You need to learn to mind your surroundings, my lady.”  
Kaylea smiled widely. “Thorin, I could kiss you!”  
“What is stopping you?” Thorin stepped forward and gave her a hand up, pulling her to him. Even after all these years, Kaylea was always amazed how good it felt to kiss him. The taste of him, the way it felt to be in his arms. For a brief moment the battle around them receded, then a voice was hailing her. She turned just as Lindar came galloping up on his horse.  
“The Southrons are doubling their attack, we cannot let them break that line!”  
Kaylea nodded and whistled for her horse, sheathing her sword. She looked at Thorin with a smile.  
“You want a piece of this, my king?” He nodded, grinning. “When did you get here?”  
“Just a few hours ago,” he said. He headed down the line to maneuver his troops, where the Southrons were pressing their attack was clearly visible down the field.  
Kaylea swung up on her horse, trotted over beside Lindar. The Elf was frowning at her. “Were you just kissing that Dwarf?” He asked.  
Kaylea looked at him. “You are getting old, my friend. You are starting to imagine things.” Lindar shook his head and turned his horse back to join the Elvish host. Kaylea smiled after him and hit her throat mike.  
“Listen up. I need all hands down the field, look for the elephants.” She clicked her tongue to her horse, Aramsham and Kynes trotted up to join her. Kaylea looked to see Thorin getting his troops moving as she took off down the field. Two other squads fell in with hers, they hit the Southrons in triangle formation driving a wedge into their line. The Southron line broke, allowing Thorin to bring his troops through the gap. The advance crumpled as Sardaukar and Dwarves attacked the line from behind. This was the first time Thorin had seen Kaylea’s warriors in battle. As he had expected, they all fought with the same strength and expertise that she did. Though they were mounted when they engaged the enemy they fought on the ground in groups of three, backs to each other they moved almost as one. Their horses fought beside them, trampling the enemy in their path. Every one of them fought like ten men and their armored dire wolves tossed opponents aside like toys. Thorin watched Kaylea’s wolf launch himself over the back of a horse, grabbing the rider’s head in his jaws and sending him flying off his horse. Once the advance was stalled, Kaylea ran over to Thorin.  
“Can you hold this position?” She asked. “I am going to see what we can do about those elephants.”  
Thorin winked at her. “Do we look tired to you?” Kaylea laughed and called her horse to see about stopping the Southrons and their beasts. 

There is a full account of the battle of the Pelennor Fields available elsewhere, if you wish to know in more detail how the day was won you may read it there. Many lives were lost on both sides, but in the end the forces of Sauron were defeated and he suffered the loss of his greatest captain. But the forces the Army of the West faced on that field were but a part of the great host of the Dark Lord. 

The morning after the battle dawned fair with a westward breeze. Wispy clouds in the sky, the sun shining pale and warm. There was still a dark cloud over Mordor but it had receded from Gondor this day. Though all knew the fighting was not yet over, there was a respite and cause for hope. Today they would clear the battlefield and care for the casualties.  
Thorin spent the day visiting with the wounded and attending to the seemingly endless tasks of keeping an army in the field. More supplies arrived and had to be distributed, weapons needed to be sharpened, armor repaired, arrangements made for the dead. As he went through the day his thoughts went ever back to Kaylea Wolf, who he had seen so briefly on the field the day before. The look on her face when she had seen him, the too brief kiss they had shared. As the afternoon stretched on and she had not appeared Thorin could stand it no longer and told his son Durin he was going to the Sardaukar encampment.  
The Sardaukar were camped some distance from the Dwarves, past Lord Aragorn’s camp, on the far side of the men from Rohan. Thorin took a horse and made his way past the armies of Men. Durin had wanted him to take an escort, but Thorin had refused saying the only enemies he was likely to encounter were dead ones. The Sardaukar numbered only 42 men though in the field they fought as 500. Their camp was spotlessly clean with tents set in neat rows. A tall, dark haired man came to greet him as he dismounted his horse.  
“May I help you, my lord?” He asked. Thorin was a bit startled to be addressed in Khuzdul.  
“I am here to see Kaylea Wolf,” Thorin replied, in the same language.  
“The larger tent on the end, my lord,” the Dorsai replied, holding out his hand for the reins. It appeared Thorin had arrived at dinner time as most of the soldiers were sitting around eating, each of them gave him an appraising look as he passed. Kaylea had brought her best warriors for this fight, most of them were Dorsai, tall, dark haired and clean shaven. Thorin saw a few women and several that appeared to be a different race, smaller than the Dorsai, darker skin and curious blue eyes that had no pupils. They were all dressed in versions of the same black tunic and coat Kaylea always wore. He looked to Kaylea’s tent and saw her standing before it talking to a tall, fair-haired man. He was not one of her soldiers, indeed he had a bit of an Elvish air to him, and was richly dressed. Thorin saw the man bow slightly and turn to leave, Kaylea watched him go, her face lighting up when she saw Thorin. He gave the man a dark look as they passed, he wanted to confront him but thought better of it. As he approached her Kaylea Wolf knelt down on one knee, bowing her head.  
“My King,” Kaylea said. Thorin stepped forward smiling, motioning for her to stand up.  
“You know you can stop doing that,” he whispered to her. Kaylea looked up at him with a sly smile, she knew no matter how much he protested he secretly enjoyed it. She put a hand in his and let him draw her to her feet, feeling the familiar thrill run through her body when Thorin touched her.  
“Who was that?” Thorin asked, still holding her hand. He badly wanted to kiss her but was not sure what was appropriate in front of her soldiers.  
“Prince Imrahil of Dol Amroth,” Kaylea replied. Thorin looked at the man’s back.  
“Why was he here? You two seemed very familiar.”  
Kaylea gave Thorin a skeptical look. “I do not think familiar is the right word. We know each other fairly well, though I have not seen him in years. Apparently he is the new Steward of Gondor.”  
“Is not Aragorn the King of Gondor?”  
“He has not yet claimed that title. With Denethor gone and Faramir injured, the task falls to Imrahil.”  
“What happened to the Steward?” Thorin asked, puzzled.  
“You have not heard? We were just about to have our evening meal, will you not join us? Then the tale can be properly told.”  
“I would be honored, my lady,” Thorin replied. He drew her hand to his lips and kissed it, then folded her arm over his. Kaylea steered him into the tent, which was furnished with a table, chairs, and a low bed. A variety of weapons, tack and wooden boxes were stacked along one wall. There was a very tall and handsome man standing at the table studying the papers spread across it, he looked up as they came in. Thorin felt another flash of jealousy but made himself take a breath. Kaylea was surrounded by men all the time and this man was obviously Dorsai.  
“This is Thorin, son of Thrain, the King of Erebor,” Kaylea said, evidently all the Dorsai spoke Khuzdul. “This is my brother, Kensie Graham, Lord of House Graham.” Kensie straightened up and bowed to Thorin, who acknowledged him with a nod. The two men looked at each other curiously. Thorin thought Kensie the very image of the kings of ancient Numenor. For his part, Kensie was wondering just how long this had been going on.  
“Your brother!” Thorin exclaimed, studying the tall Dorsai. “I am glad to meet any family of Kaylea Wolf. Why have you never spoken of him?”  
Kensie smiled, a twinkle in his eye. “Then we have something in common, your majesty” he said, giving Kaylea a sideways glance. Kaylea was ignoring him, clearing the papers off the table. As they were taking their seats a blonde soldier came in with four loaded plates and tall glasses of ale. Thorin had not come to eat, but the smell reminded him he had eaten nothing since breakfast, and he did not know if the Sardaukar had brought their own supplies but it looked much better than what the Dwarves could find. Fresh meat and baked bread, grilled vegetables. He had not seen such a meal since he left Erebor.  
“This is my aide Aramsham, your majesty,” Kaylea said, as the soldier bowed and sat down to join them. The three Dorsai watched to make sure the King took a bite before they started. As they ate talk turned to yesterday’s battle and the events around it. Kensie told the story of the madness of Denethor. Thorin listened with great interest as his eyes constantly strayed back to Kaylea, his leg resting against hers under the table. When he turned his gaze to her he often found she was looking at him, her eyes promising a memorable evening. She had not been gone long this time, just over two years, not long enough for the fierce desire he felt for her to wane. He could feel his blood stirring as he looked at the clasps on her tunic, his fingers itching to open them.  
“Why did you not tell me you were coming to Gondor, your majesty?” Kaylea asked as they finished eating, settling back in her chair. Aramsham handed around glasses of smooth Dorsai liquor, the smell of it always reminded Thorin of the first kiss he had shared with Kaylea, and the second.  
“I thought I might surprise you, my lady,” Thorin replied. “You have so eloquently made the case that this fight belonged to all in Middle Earth. I hope after today the other races will take a more charitable view of Dwarves.”  
Kaylea nodded in agreement. “I did try hard to persuade you to join the fight. I am glad I was successful.” She handed her plate to Aramsham who had risen and was collecting the dishes. Her aide paused by the tent door. “Anything else, sir?” He asked. Kaylea shook her head.  
“You are dismissed,” she said. “Go get some kip.”  
Kensie Graham had been watching Kaylea and the Dwarf King closely. The affection between them was clear, they shared an intimacy that could only have come with long acquaintance. Now that he had met the King it explained the way Kaylea had been wearing her hair, the silver beads and braids that matched his. With his unlined face and mane of dark hair Thorin seemed very young to be such a great King, although like the Elves he had an air of someone much older. He was certainly the tallest Dwarf Kensie had ever seen and his features were more refined than those of most of his people, his aristocratic bearing leaving no doubt he was a son from a line of kings. He and Kaylea were a bit of a strange couple, but if the Dwarf made his sister happy, he was not going to judge. He finished his drink and pushed his chair back.  
“I should be going as well,” he said. “I want to visit my brother in the Houses of Healing.” He rose and bowed to Thorin. “I will see you again I am sure, your majesty.” His eyes flicked to Kaylea as he spoke, then he turned and went out into the evening light smiling and shaking his head. The smaller grey wolf who was lying next to Ajax rose and followed him.  
Thorin shot a startled look at Kaylea as she got up to tie the door of the tent closed.  
“You have two brothers? Who are Lords?” He asked incredulously. “Why have you not spoken of them before? And you have said nothing to them of me?”  
She shrugged lightly as she came to stand beside him. “It never came up,” she said, reaching back to take her hair out of its braid. “And we did agree to keep it quiet.”  
Thorin scoffed. “Of course I did not expect you to tell this lord of yours about our wedding, but certainly you could tell your family? We have been together for many years, have you truly never spoken of it?”  
Kaylea looked down, her face grave. “I wish I could make you understand how hard this is for me. Of course I want to shout it from the rooftops, but I cannot. You must think of Lord Blackwolf as a spider with webs that travel everywhere, into every room, into every mind. If any word of our union is spoken in the Empire, he will hear of it. And if he does there is a good possibility I be banned from this place forever. I would lose you, and I cannot risk that.”  
Thorin stepped forward and took her hands. He had not meant to upset her. “When I meet this lord of yours I shall give him a lesson in how to treat loyal retainers.”  
Kaylea smiled at him, squeezing his hands. “Somehow I do not think you would enjoy that.” She motioned to the tent door. “As long as the door is tied we will not be disturbed,” she smiled at him, shaking her hair out. Thorin slid his arms around her waist and pulled her close.  
“Now I owe you a proper kiss,” he said, reaching up and pulling her head down to his. He had been thinking about the way she tasted all day, desert sun and cinnamon. The feel of her body against him, the way she used her mouth. His hands worked their way under her clothes, running over her skin. Thorin opened the clasps of her tunic, moving the fabric aside to kiss her neck, then her chest. He paused and looked up at her, smiling mischievously. “No Elves around to interrupt this time,” he said. Kaylea smiled back at him, she hooked a finger into the mithril breastplate he was wearing.  
“How quickly can you get out of this?” She asked playfully. Although years had passed since they last saw each other, as soon as they were in each other’s arms it was as if all that time vanished. The intimacy between them only strengthened with time.  
Thorin chuckled. “You will still beat me, even with all your weapons.”  
Kaylea stepped back and pulled her tunic over her head then bent to remove her knives. Thorin watched her as he removed his armor and the impenetrable woven garments Kaylea had given him, piling them on the floor next to the bed. When he was down to his undergarment he moved over next to her, putting one knee on the bed. She was still wearing the tight sleeveless top and shorts that were her underwear. He ran his fingers along the chain that held her wedding rings, rolling them between his fingers, then along her jaw to turn her face up towards him. Kaylea felt the touch of his hand through her whole body, reminding her how much she missed him when she was away.  
“Do you know what you do to me, my love?” Thorin asked softly. Kaylea did not answer, instead she drew him close and kissed his chest, starting on one side and working her way across. Kaylea loved the warm, earthy taste of him. Her tongue circled his nipples, her hands lightly tracing the muscles, around his sides and into the back of his underwear. Thorin caught his breath, the touch of her lips on his skin like sparks dancing across his body.  
“You have lost weight,” Kaylea said, she started to work her way down with her lips, pulling the laces that held up his underclothes with her teeth. Thorin playfully pushed her back on the bed with a smile. He was already so close, if she started with that he wouldn’t last two minutes. Tonight he wanted to take his time. He moved down and kissed her stomach then started working her shirt up, moving his lips up her body as he went. When Thorin pulled her shirt over her head Kaylea reached down to slide her hands into his undergarments but he sidled out of her reach. Now he started with her underwear, slowly rolling it down kissing her as he went. When he reached her knees he pulled her underwear off, then his own.  
Kaylea was sopping wet when he entered her. Thorin paused once inside her savoring the sensation, her body against his, the feeling of two becoming one. He kissed her deeply, passionately, Kaylea responded with her entire body, spreading her legs wider, then began to rock her hips against him. Thorin began to move, slowly at first, bringing himself up on his arms. Kaylea felt his braids tickling her neck and opened her eyes to look at him, she bit her lip to avoid crying out. When he felt Kaylea getting close, Thorin slowed down and stopped, kissing her neck, then began to move slowly again. They knew each others bodies so well now they could spend hours teasing this way.  
When he stopped a third time Kaylea rolled him over and mounted him. She sat up, relishing the sensation of him inside her, shifting her hips to get him as far in as possible, though with Thorin’s size it was on the edge of being painful. Slowly she began to move, Thorin could feel she was very close. He moved his hands over her body, feeling her respond. This time he caught her off guard, Kaylea arched her back, let out a long sigh that became a quiet purr in her throat. Her hands gripping his shoulders, her climax long and intense. Thorin felt her body shudder and thrust himself into her hard, climaxing right after her. He felt waves of pleasure moving through his body. He gasped, holding her hips to keep himself inside as he let the sensation flow over him. Kaylea lay forward and kissed him then moved off to the side. Thorin turned to face her, gently brushing her hair away from her face.  
“I love you, my wife,” he said, moving his head forward so his forehead rested on hers.  
“I love you, husband,” Kaylea replied, a soft smile on her lips. 

Two hours later a soldier’s voice came from outside the tent door. “Messengers from the Lord Aragorn to see you, sir.”  
“Give me a moment,” Kaylea said, rolling off the bed to gather her clothes. She dressed quickly and put her hair back in a ponytail, then untied the door and stepped out into the twilight. Thorin was finishing getting dressed.  
There were three soldiers waiting for her, on their livery the White Tree of Gondor. Kaylea stepped up to them. “What can I do for you, captain?” She asked.  
“We have a message from Lord Aragorn, my lady” said the dark-haired soldier. He looked around at the soldiers watching them. “It should be delivered in private.”  
Kaylea took a breath, wondering if there was any point in trying to explain the Sardaukar command structure. As she hesitated, the captain spoke again.  
“It will only take a few moments of your time, my lady,” he said. “Then we need to be on our way to the Dwarf camp.”  
“I can save you that ride,” Thorin was standing in the door of the tent, holding the flap aside. He motioned with his head for the soldiers to come in. The three of them followed Kaylea, as they entered the tent she saw their eyes all go to her sleeping pallet. The blankets twisted and hanging off, Thorin’s armor in a pile next to it, and the King in just his tunic, breeches and fur boot liners.  
“Your majesty, I am here to tell you both Lord Aragorn has called a council at the eighth hour in the morning. He requests you both attend,” the captain said, trying to keep his mind on his errand. Arguably the most beautiful woman in Middle Earth and the Dwarf King? How does such a thing happen?  
“Are you allowed to tell us the nature of this council?” Kaylea asked.  
“He has told me only it is to plan our next move against the Enemy,” the soldier replied. “I have been told to prepare my men for a march.”  
“Thank you, captain,” Kaylea said. She held the door open as the soldiers from Gondor filed out, looking at her pallet with a wry smile. How long was it going to take before this was all over the camp?  
“A march into Mordor?” Thorin mused, pouring some Dorsai liquor into two cups.  
“Perhaps. The timing seems odd, so soon after the victory here,” Kaylea said thoughtfully. “I wonder if there has been some word of the Ring-bearer.”  
“How would a march help the hobbit?”  
Kaylea frowned. “The point may be to keep Sauron’s attention outside of Mordor. The Ring must now be in that land, Aragorn knows we must give the bearer time to destroy it.” She looked at Thorin. “I wonder if he means to march on the Morannon.”  
“The Black Gate! You cannot be serious.”  
“That is what I would do,” Kaylea smiled at him.  
Thorin was shocked, Surely Aragorn could not be thinking of doing something so foolish. He was absently stroking the head of Ajax who was sitting next to him, not even aware he was doing it. “I should get back to my troops.” He moved to put his armor back on.

The next morning when Thorin and his son Durin arrived at Aragorn’s pavilion across the Pelennor near where King Theoden had fallen, he found Kaylea outside again talking to Prince Imrahil.  
“Will you not come to dinner tonight?” the Prince was asking as Thorin came up. Kaylea did not answer, instead turning to greet Thorin. She went to kneel but he caught her elbow and raised her up before she could go all the way down.  
“Will you not introduce us?” He said, looking daggers at the Prince.  
“Prince Imrahil of Dol Amroth, may I present Thorin son of Thrain, the King of Erebor. And my husband.”  
“Very pleased to meet you, your majesty.” The Prince looked very surprised as he bowed to Thorin, then turned to Kaylea “You are the Queen of Erebor? When did this happen?”  
“She is my wife but has not yet been crowned,” Thorin said. “We were married quietly a few years ago. We agreed to wait until this war is decided before holding the coronation. It did not seem proper to hold a great celebration under such circumstances.”  
The Prince nodded. “I do agree, but I must congratulate you on your patience. I would not have been able to wait!”  
“Kaylea can be very persuasive,” Thorin replied, smiling at his wife. A page came out of the pavilion and motioned everyone inside.  
“Time for business,” the Prince said, laying a hand on Kaylea’s arm “Please tell me you will dine with me tonight.”  
Kaylea could feel Thorin bristle at her side. ‘If my King wishes,” she looked a warning at him, tipping the Prince's hand off her arm.  
“Of course, you both must come,” the Prince said lightly, seemingly unaware of the offence Thorin had taken. “It will not be a formal affair, just a small gathering. In the Citadel.” He turned to follow the others into the tent.  
“Put your hackles down, husband,” Kaylea said sharply. Thorin was glaring at the Prince's back.  
“I will not have him touching you,” he said darkly. “I do not like the way he looks at you.”  
“All men look at me that way, it is only because you are now outside the realm of your people that you notice it,” she said patiently.  
“All men look at you with desire, not all of them look at you like that,” Thorin said, still scowling. “That man is in love with you.”  
“He may be, but I am not in love with him,” Kaylea said. “I may be desired by many men, that does not mean I return that affection. I will admit there have been times I have used that attraction to gain the answer a question or two, but it has never gone farther than words.” She looked at Thorin gravely. “Surely I have given you no reason to doubt me?”  
Thorin looked down and sighed. “None at all,” he looked up at her a bit sheepishly, brought a hand up to touch the side of her face. “I confess, I have used attraction for the same purposes myself a time or two. You must know a Dwarf’s love is a jealous love, I cannot help myself.”  
Kaylea leaned in and kissed him softly, knowing she had not heard the end of this. “Let us go in and see what Aragorn has planned.” 

The leaders of all the armies were assembled in Aragorn’s tent, along with Gandalf and a few others. Aragorn and Gandalf both made the case for a march on the Black Gate itself. Kaylea gathered from their speech the Ring-bearer was now in Mordor and must be close to his goal. As she had predicted Aragorn would try to keep Sauron’s mind focused outside of Mordor, he apparently had revealed himself to the Dark Lord to make sure the bait would be taken. The combined army they would be able to muster would be small against the might of the Dark Lord, Kaylea wondered privately how many would return if the Ring-bearer was not successful. The mood was very grave, none could see how they would come back alive from this battle but all were determined to do it. The council agreed to set out for the Black Gate on the second day and the meeting broke up so all could return to their troops.  
Thorin and Kaylea walked out together, each lost in their own thoughts.  
“Will you ride with me on this march?” Thorin asked her as they walked toward their horses. “If we are going to our deaths I would very much like to spend my last days with my wife.”  
“Of course, but you are going to live through this. I will fight by your side to insure it.”  
Thorin paused, turning towards her. “Have you brought weapons from your Empire to aid us in this fight?”  
“I have,” she nodded. “I am not supposed to use them, but if it comes to it, I will. And Pilot is here, the effect a powerful telepath can have on a battle is hard to overstate”  
Thorin smiled slightly, feeling the first ray of hope that they all might make it through this. “I am glad to hear it. Shall we go to dinner tonight on your black horse?”  
“We do not have to go, if you would rather not. And is it appropriate for the King of Erebor to show up on the back of a horse?”  
“It may not be appropriate, but there is no way I would rather arrive. Let us go,” Thorin said. “It will be good to do something normal in the midst of all this, and I would very much like to see the city. I do not suppose you have anything to wear that is not black?”  
Kaylea smiled at him, picturing the trunk of clothes he had probably brought with him. “I have a green tunic, similar to the blue one you like.”  
“Mmmmm...the one with the laces? I look forward to seeing it,” Thorin said, he reached and drew her close. “Tonight I will enjoy watching these Men look at my beautiful wife and not be jealous. But I will not stand for that Prince or anyone else touching you.”  
“I have an idea about that,” Kaylea said. Thorin kissed her then and she lost herself in the sensation for a moment. At length he drew back and she turned to pick up the reins of her horse. She looked up and saw Prince Imrahil watching them. He spurred his horse and rode away towards the city. 

That evening when Kaylea rode into the Dwarf camp Thorin was waiting for her. He was clothed all in green, high-collared embroidered shirt, long coat and soft leather breeches with his wide, jeweled belt. She reined in her horse and offered him her hand to pull him up. She saw his eyes widen at the wedding rings on her finger. Thorin settled himself behind her, sliding his arms around her waist and kissing her on the neck. Kaylea leaned back against him for a moment before turning her horse’s head toward the White City. As they rode past the army camps Thorin noticed men pointing them out to each other, soldiers standing along the road bowed and smiled at him as if they were sharing some private joke. He heard Kaylea chuckle.  
“Well, that did not take long,” she said. Thorin smiled, thinking those soldiers from last night had been busy.  
The city of Minas Tirith was one of the wonders of Middle Earth. Built around a sharp rock outcropping it climbed the side of the mountain hundreds of feet to the Citadel at the top. At the shattered remains of the main gate the guards challenged them, but when they saw it was Kaylea they drew back to let her pass. Thorin bade her stop at the gate and let him down. Together they walked around the opening, Kaylea could see the wheels turning in Thorin’s head as he calculated the material and time it would take to repair. Lord Aragorn had asked him about it in the council tent that morning.  
“We can remake it stronger than it was before,” Thorin said as Kaylea pulled him up behind her. He slid his arms tightly around her waist, smiling at her wedding rings. He did love the way they looked on her finger.  
Minas Tirith was a city of seven levels and seven gates, as Kaylea’s horse wound his way through the city Thorin looked around curiously. There was quite a bit of damage from the battle but he could see most of the place had been uninhabited for many years.  
“This place is well built,” he said, when they stopped before the last gate. Horses were not allowed in the Citadel. Thorin looked out over the ramparts at the land spread out almost a thousand feet beneath him as he waited for Kaylea to see to her horse. When she returned he took her arm and they walked up the long ramp and through the last gate. The white tower reached into the sky above them, luminous in the evening light. They passed over a wide green lawn and past a bubbling fountain. A dead tree cast it’s leafless branches over a still pool. Thorin gave the tree a puzzled glance then looked up at the tower, he had no idea Men were capable of this level of stonework. Dwarves could do better of course, but it was impressive. When they went through the tall doors of the tower they could hear the sounds of laughter and conversation from an open door to their left, a well-lit hall behind it. The hall was high-ceilinged and decorated with fine tapestries, a fire crackled in the wide hearth, Commanders from all the armies of Men and Elves seemed to be in attendance, though Lord Aragorn was not there. Prince Imrahil saw them come in and came to greet them.  
“Welcome, your majesty! I am glad you have come,” he said, then paused to stare at Kaylea. She was not wearing her black fighting clothes but a forest green tunic with embroidered designs along the edges and a low, square-cut neckline, the laces at the bottom just slightly loose, her soft black leggings tucked into her boots. She wore her hair loosely, the two braids along her temples and the braids that matched her King’s adorned with mithril beads. Thorin saw the Prince’s reaction and had to smile, though he did feel a bit jealous it was also gratifying to have the woman everyone desired on his arm.  
“Thank you, your highness,” Thorin replied, taking Kaylea’s hand. “I have never before been in the White City.” The Prince quickly recovered his composure and motioned for a servant to bring them some wine. Thorin and Kaylea had just started to move into the room when Gimli came up and bowed low before his King.  
“Your majesty,” he said gravely. He looked up at Kaylea and bowed again. “My Queen.”  
“I am glad to see you, kinsman!” Thorin exclaimed. “I have many questions to ask you about your journey.” He put a hand on Gimli’s shoulder and steered him away toward the fire where they could talk privately. Kaylea saw Legolas of the Woodland Realm was also there and made her way to him, she had a few questions of her own about the journey of the company that had accompanied the Ring-bearer.  
After Kaylea and Legolas had been speaking for a time Imrahil came up, a servant behind him with fresh glasses of wine. They each took one and Legolas moved away to speak to the other Elves..  
“Would you consider it terribly inappropriate if I told you I was disappointed to hear you are married?” The Prince asked. “I know we were never as close as I would have liked, but that was not from lack of trying on my part.”  
Kaylea smiled. “I know, your highness.” She looked over at Thorin, still deep in conversation with Gimli, but watching them. “I did try to keep myself apart from you, so as not to give you the wrong impression.”  
The Prince sighed, looking a bit downcast. “Up until today I always thought there was some hope.” He moved to put a hand on her arm, Kaylea turned aside.  
“You almost lost your arm once today,” she said quietly “Touch me again and you will be fighting one-handed.” She could feel Thorin’s eyes focused on her from across the room.  
The Prince nodded. “You are quite right. Please excuse me for being so familiar,” he cast at glance at Thorin. “I know he is fabulously rich but does he make you happy, my lady?“  
“Deliriously,” Kaylea answered. The Prince looked like he was about to turn away but he suddenly leaned in closer to her. Kaylea put a hand out to keep him back.  
“I do wish you had given me that chance,” he said, his eyes straying down to her neckline.  
Kaylea stepped back, her face grave. “I love my husband, your highness,” she began, but then Thorin was stepping between them, a hand on the Prince’s chest.  
“I will thank you to leave my wife alone, princeling,” Thorin said, his voice full of venom.  
The Prince lowered his eyes and bowed slightly to Kaylea, he looked like he was about to say something to Thorin but the look on the King’s face stopped him cold. He turned quickly away. Thorin turned his glare on Kaylea.  
“You asked if I had reason to doubt you, now I think that I might,” his voice was low and dangerous. All eyes in the room were starting to turn toward them.  
Kaylea leaned close. “We are not going to do this here in front of all these people,” she hissed through her teeth. Drawing back and making her voice even and smooth, she gestured toward a door that led to the courtyard. “Let us step outside for a moment, my king.”  
For answer Thorin crossed his arms and planted his feet.  
Kaylea leaned to whisper in his ear. “You can lead the way out to the courtyard or I will put you under my arm and carry you. Your choice.”  
Thorin snorted, but turned on his heel and strode to the doors on the side of the hall. He knew it was not an idle threat. As Kaylea followed him Elrohir caught her eye, smirking behind his wine glass. You were the one who wanted to marry a Dwarf.  
They walked out into the crisp evening air, the stars just beginning to appear overhead. Kaylea shut the door behind her and turned to face her husband.  
“You owe me an explanation,” he said, crossing his arms.  
Kaylea looked down, gathering her thoughts. “There really is not much to tell. I first met him many years ago, when his father was still alive. Before I met you.”  
“Men do not live that long.”  
“They do if the blood of Numenor runs in their veins,” Kaylea replied. “I could see he was attracted to me, as I told you I used that to gain the answers to some questions. That was all that transpired between us. The next time I saw him was almost 30 years ago, that time I came to Erebor in midwinter. I needed an introduction to Saruman and thought I would make use of the Prince again. I had hoped to find him married, but instead he tried to pursue me. I told him I was in love with another and kept myself apart from him. That is really all there is to tell, until I came to Gondor and here he is again.”  
“This seems very little to justify his pursuit,” Thorin said flatly. “You must be leaving something out.”  
“I assure you I am not,” Kaylea replied. “It is the curse of the way I look that I have had to manage many unwanted suitors in my life. I thought wearing my ring and making it clear we are in love would be enough to dissuade him, but I was mistaken.”  
Thorin frowned at her. “And how many like him you are stringing along in your Empire? Is that why you have told no one about me?”  
And there it is, Kaylea thought. She wished she could make Thorin understand, but she certainly could see why it annoyed him.  
“I will never lie to you, husband. There are other Imrahils, but it has never gone beyond words with any of them.” Kaylea paused, looking toward the mountains. “I have already told you why I cannot speak about us. You do not know Blackwolf, he is dangerous and ruthless. He protects this planet from the Empire, which is no small thing. Because he is the sole gatekeeper it is in his power to ban me from this place forever.”  
“But why would he do that?” Thorin asked. “This is what I do not understand. Is it because I am a Dwarf?”  
Kaylea nodded. “It is partly that, but it is also because no father believes any man is good enough for his daughter.”  
“He is your father?!” Thorin was shocked.  
Kaylea smiled, inclining her head. “In a way. He created me.”  
“With genetic engineering?” Thorin asked, then put his fingers to his temples with a startled look.  
Kaylea’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. “Where did that come from?”  
Thorin shook his head. “From Pilot, I suppose. I seem to always be discovering things he put in my head.” Thorin blinked, concentrating. “Is this really possible?”  
“Yes. Blackwolf is one of the foremost genetic engineers, his designs are much in demand. My brothers Kensie and Ian are also his creations. He does consider us his children.”  
“So, this is why you serve him.”  
“I would not be surprised if loyalty to him was built into my personality. I certainly do not like him very much.” Kaylea clasped her hands together. “We have a very contentious relationship. I resent the power he has over me, he resents that I will not always obey him. Over the years we have built a system of trading favors for favors. Blackwolf’s currency is information, which I need to plan campaigns. He needs my army to achieve his goals. Right now he owes me many favors, enough for me to bargain for the means to travel freely here, but if I tell him about you it is a weapon he can hold over me to do his bidding forever, or he might just never let me return because he can.” Kaylea stepped forward, putting her hands on Thorin’s arm. “I love you as I have never loved anyone in my long life. I cannot lose you, it would destroy me.” She could feel the tears in her eyes, the thought of losing Thorin opened up a bottomless pit of despair in her heart. How could she make him understand?  
Her emotion moved Thorin as her words could not, his face finally softening. He could hear the truth in her words. This business of not telling her family grated on him, but at the same time he felt he would never really understand her until he had lived in her world. She had promised everything would change when this war was over and it was fast coming to a close. Thorin reached to wipe the tears from her cheek. “I would rather die than be separated from you,” he said. “This is why I am so angry that you have told no one about us, it makes me think you are planning to leave me. I could not bear that.”  
Kaylea took a deep breath. “I would hardly leave your side, if I had a choice. Will you not trust me, just a while longer? Please, husband.”  
“Patience is not my strong suit,” Thorin said with a soft smile. “And I have already been waiting long.” He brought her head down to his and kissed her, feeling his anger start to fade as he enfolded her in his arms. Neither wanted to stop, but after a time Thorin drew back and held his forehead to hers.  
“I am still angry with you,” he said, looking into her eyes.  
Kaylea smiled. “I know.” She traced the buttons on his shirt with her finger. “Perhaps we can work this out later tonight?”  
Thorin smiled. “Do not tempt me, I am planning on being angry with you for a while. Let us go in to dinner.” 

A long table had been set in the adjoining hall. The Prince sat at one end, the sons of Elrond at his right, Thorin and Kaylea sat across from each other in the center. Gimli claimed the seat next to Thorin so they could continue their conversation, Kaylea had an idea what it might be about but she would let Thorin tell her in his own time. Elrohir had switched seats so he could sit next to her.  
“So, you and and the King are fighting?” He asked, smirking behind his wine glass.  
Kaylea looked sideways at the Elf. “We are going to continue the conversation later,” she said, leaning in conspiratorially. “I may have to get out my riding crop.”  
Elrohir grimaced, holding up a hand. “Spare me! You are always adding to the things I would rather not know about Thorin Oakenshield.” He sipped at his wine and turned the conversation to the coming march.  
The mood in the room was subdued, but the food was plentiful and the wine flowed freely. Halfway through the meal the subject of the destroyed gates of the city came up. The Prince repeated Thorin’s words that the King Under the Mountain had skill in his kingdom to rebuild it.  
Eomer leaned over to one of his captains. “From what I hear that is not all he is good at,” he remarked with a grin.  
Kaylea smiled at Eomer from across the table and reached for the euer to pour herself more wine. The blue stone of her ring flashed in the lamplight. “What is the matter, horse-master?” She asked. “Surprised to find out that Dwarves have skill in their hands for things other than mining and working metal?” She gave him a wicked grin. “And not all of him is small.”  
This last remark prompted some eye rolling and laughter, lightening the mood at the table. Every eye in the room found its way to the King, who was pointedly inspecting his fingernails and almost visibly growing taller. He looked up innocently at the lords around him, many had noticed he also wore a ring with a blue stone. Imadril did not smile, his eyes were downcast, betraying his deep sadness. 

II. MORIA

The last stand of the Army of the West at the Black Gate has been described at length in another text, there is not much that can be added to that account. If the reader is interested to learn how the day was won it is best to read it there. The army of Erebor and the Sardaukar contributed much to the ability of the Army of the West to hold its ground against the vast might of Sauron until the Ring was destroyed and his power broken at last. 

Two days after the Black Gate Thorin was sitting down to dinner in Kaylea’s tent at the Sardaukar camp. After the defeat of Sauron the armies had pulled back to Ithilien to treat their wounded and recover their dead. The armies of Erebor and Dorsai had often camped next to each other as each held themselves a bit apart from the armies of men and they spoke the same language. Now all was in readiness to depart, the Armies of Men and Elves would return to Gondor, Thorin and his men would head North to the Lonely Mountain. The King did not see any reason to return to Gondor just to see Aragorn crowned, not when his army was already several days into the march home.  
Sitting around the table in Kaylea’s tent were her brothers, her aide, and the Kzin, Pilot Ahk-Set. Elrohir was also there, catching up with his friends from the Empire. Thorin had come to know Kaylea’s brothers over the course of the march to the Black Gate. For twins it was hard to find two men less alike. Both had fine features, black hair and grey eyes, but the similarities ended there. Kensie was always smiling and had an easy manner that put all around him at ease. Ian was silent and grim, the largest man Thorin had ever seen and a legendary fighter among the Dorsai. Thorin had seen for himself he fought with an almost berserker rage that none could withstand. Of course these two men and Kaylea were not really related in the conventional sense.They were all products of Lord Blackwolf’s genetic engineering program, which Kaylea had explained to him but even with Pilot’s help he still had trouble grasping. This Lord Blackwolf could somehow make people, decide ahead of time what they would look like and bring them into the world without need of the womb of a woman. It was the most utterly fantastic thing Kaylea had told him about her world. But when he looked at the three of them he could see they shared a kind of flawlessness that ordinary men lacked.  
Around the table there was quite a bit of talk about the defeat of Sauron and what was in store now for Middle Earth. Kaylea was the only one among the Dorsai who travelled there regularly so she had to fill in many details for her brothers. Thorin put in a few words here and there but his mind was already on his journey home.  
“And what is on your mind this evening, your majesty?” Ian suddenly asked him. “You seem very grim for one who has just taken part in a great victory.”  
Thorin smiled wryly. “I have been thinking about what I might accomplish on my way home, if I could persuade you to join us.”  
Kaylea looked at him thoughtfully. “Moria.”  
Thorin nodded. The tale Gimli had told about his journey through that city had been much retold through the Dwarves’ camp, many were once again turning their minds to reclaiming that great kingdom. “The scores of Men and Elves have been settled, those of my people have not. I am thinking the time to go is now, when I have an army in the field to do it.”  
Elrohir was the first to disagree. “Durin’s Bane may be gone, but that place is still a stronghold of goblins and their allies. And there are other, fouler things in the deep places under that city. Moria is vast, even with a much larger army the chance of victory would be slight.”  
“I do not need a larger army, not if the Sardaukar come. And bring him,” Thorin pointed at Pilot. “I would wager he could wipe out half the goblins before we ever set foot in the place.”  
The Kzin smiled, showing just the tips of his pointed teeth. Among his kind a smile was a challenge.  
“I do not know Moria, except as a name on a map,” Kensie said. “Is there a short version of the story you can tell us?”  
Thorin shook his head. He told the story as briefly as he could, the glory of the greatest of the Dwarf kingdoms, the coming of the Balrog, the battle of Azanulbizar, the death of his grandfather and ending with the quest of Balin to reclaim the kingdom.  
Ian nodded solemnly. “So, for you it is personal.”  
Thorin took a breath. “Yes.”  
Ian shrugged. “I am up for it,” he looked at Kaylea. “Can you sell it to Blackwolf?”  
Kaylea frowned. “I think so. Tell him we are doing clean-up or something.” She leaned forward on her elbows. “The codes are open-ended. This will add three or four more months.”  
Thorin looked at her, a slight smile on his lips. “For your soldiers perhaps, you will be staying longer. You are coming back to Erebor with me.”  
Everyone at the table straightened up in surprise, looking from Thorin to Kaylea and back, wondering how she was going to respond. Elrohir and Pilot exchanged knowing glances.  
Kaylea’s eyebrows shot up. “I am?”  
“You promised me a wedding when Sauron was defeated. Now I get to put a crown on your head.”  
Elrohir laughed. “I believe Glorfindel is still in Rivendell,” he said. “Shall I send a message to my father’s house?”  
Thorin smiled and shook his head. “No, this time I will have my cousin perform the ceremony.”  
“This time?” Kensie asked, astonished. “So, there was a first time! I thought that was just a camp rumor.”  
“They were married privately in Erebor, almost three years ago now,” Elrohir said, smiling at the memory. “The King backed her into a corner masterfully, you should have been there. And she did promise him a proper wedding, I will attest to it.”  
“If you are getting married, it should be at Tor Graham,” Ian said gravely.  
Kaylea held up her hands. “Peace! I thought the plan was to wait until after I could secure access from Blackwolf before we would make the announcement and hold the coronation, but I admit I did say after the defeat of Sauron. If it is the King’s wish to hold the wedding now, then so be it.” She looked defiantly at Thorin, she did not appreciate him ambushing her like this. “And when I get things settled we will have a proper Dorsai ceremony at Tor Graham.”  
Kensie and Ian gave each other a knowing glance. They had never before seen Kaylea let herself be maneuvered like that, it seemed she and the King were evenly matched.  
Thorin smiled widely at her. “I will be my great privilege to marry you as many times as you want, my love.” 

Many days later the army of Erebor was camped in the vale before the gates of what was once the greatest Dwarf kingdom in Middle Earth. Two thousand and five hundred had marched South to meet the forces of the Dark Lord before the gates of Gondor, two hundred returned now in wagons to Erebor to be laid to rest in the deep halls of stone. With them went another two hundred, those too sorely wounded to help with the assault on Moria and others to tend to them and manage the wagons. The Sardaukar took their place with their peerless weapons and fierce wolves. The Dwarves now camped under the mountains looked to the gates of Moria with grim determination. At last they would finally take back their great city and see an end to the hated goblins that had occupied it for so long. As they had marched around Mirkwood they had cut a number of trees which they were now fashioning into a wide bridge to span the moat to the Second Hall. They knew from Gimli’s tale the original bridge had been destroyed in Gandalf’s battle with the Balrog.  
On the night before the assault on Moria the commanders of the Dwarf and Sardaukar forces met in the large tent in the Sardaukar camp to hold a final strategy session. The King was there with his son Durin, Kaylea and her brothers and Pilot. Durin had been a bit startled the first time he saw the Kzin without his cloak, but he had become used to him in the last few days. He no longer jumped when the large cat-creature spoke and was now fairly certain it was not going to eat him. Right now he found himself fascinated by the large, three dimensional map of Moria that was suspended over the table.  
“I still cannot believe the size of this place,” Ian was saying. “ With these weapons it is going to take months to clear it.”  
“We do not have to look into every corner,” Thorin said. “We only need to clear these three areas,” he pointed at the map. “These main halls and these first two wards. This city was built for defense.” Everyone could see that with those areas cleared there were only five entrances to guard to the other halls. “Then we can clear the other parts of the city one by one. This was Balin’s plan, and he lived here for many years.”  
“But he was ultimately unsuccessful,” Kaylea pointed out.  
“He did not have an army with him, and Balin’s main goal was to reopen the works,” Thorin said. “He was perhaps too eager in that regard. I do not believe he spent as much time clearing the city as he should.” And now the Balrog is gone, he thought to himself.  
“How many goblins are in there?” Kensie asked, looking at Pilot. The Kzin took a deep breath, his yellow eyes narrowing.  
“Thousands upon thousands,” he replied. “And orcs, and trolls.”  
“Can you take them out with a blast?” Kensie asked.  
Pilot shook his head. “I cannot focus those. I would take out the Dwarves too.”  
Thorin looked over at the Kzin with a startled glance. Did he just say he could kill every living thing in Moria at once? And the Dwarf army at the same time?  
“We will go in through this entrance,” Kaylea was saying, indicating a spot high to the east of the gate. The tunnel leading to it could be plainly seen, it ended just outside the Second Hall. The plan was to take a small force in with Pilot to hold it until the gap to the First Hall could be spanned.  
“The door will be invisible,” Thorin said. There would be no way to open it from the outside.  
Kaylea smiled. “Let us worry about that, your majesty.” She looked at Pilot. “You said there are not many goblins in the upper halls.”  
The Kzin nodded. “None at all,” he said. “I imagine they can move up those tunnels pretty quick.” He shook his head. “It is hard for me to read them all, there is something in the rock of this place shielding them.”  
“No doubt they are living in the lower works and the mines, far from any light,” Durin put in.  
“Is there light in the upper halls, as in Erebor?” Kaylea asked, looking again at the map.  
Thorin nodded. “I am sure there were many lightwells though most, if not all, have been blocked up.”  
Kensie looked thoughtful. “Might be worth sending a few men to open those wells. If there are as many goblins in there as Pilot says we can use any advantage.”  
Thorin was going to say they would have to know where the wells were, but then he saw them on the computer’s map which showed even small details. He watched it rotate around in front of him, he had known Moria was a great city, but even he had not quite realized the scale of the place.  
After the meeting broke up Kaylea walked back with Thorin to his tent, Durin went to go over the last instructions with the troops. Not far from where Thorin had pitched his tent was the grassy slope that descended to the Mirrormere, the deep blue lake that the Dwarves called Kheled-zaram. The encircling mountains reflected in its still surface. Kaylea had seen many in the army stand at the weathered stone and look into the lake, but she had not seen Thorin do so.  
“Is there a reason you do not gaze into the lake, husband?”  
Thorin looked grim. “If we retake Moria, I will look. Not before.” Kaylea could sense there was some old pain associated with the lake, she did not press him. Thorin held the tent door open for her, glad they would have some privacy this evening. It was the first time since they had left Ithilien. Ajax pushed past him and curled up on the bed.  
“Off of there,” Thorin told him. “We are going to be using that.”  
Kaylea smiled at his hurt look as Ajax got up and moved to the rug by the door. She put her arms around Thorin and drew him to her.  
“Tomorrow you will finish the quest started by your grandfather,” she said, smoothing the hair away from his face. “This has been a long time coming for your people.”  
“This is the third time we have attempted to reclaim Moria. With you at my side, this time we will be successful,” Thorin replied. “Was Pilot being serious? Could he really kill everything in there at once?”  
Kaylea’s face took on a solemn look, as if at some old memory. “I once saw a Kzin telepath take out half the population of a planet. We had no idea of the true power of telepaths until the Rim Wars. Our telepaths had always kept the extent of their powers hidden, though even the weakest Kzin is many times stronger than any human one. Pilot will use the same techniques he used at the Black Gate, they are much more precise.”  
“I am glad he is fighting with us,” Thorin said. He leaned in to kiss her neck, pulling the laces on her tunic. For the rest of the evening he wanted to spend his full attention on his wife. 

Before dawn the next morning Kaylea and Thorin climbed the side of the mountain to the hidden door that would take them to the Second Hall. With Kaylea were Ian, Pilot and nine more of her soldiers. Thorin had brought thirty of his most seasoned fighters. It seemed to him a small number to hold the Hall, but with the Sardaukar hopefully it could be done. They reached the spot where the door was supposed to be, finding nothing but a wall of stone, set back in a wide space on the side of the mountain. Two of the Dorsai set to work immediately. They put on odd-looking spectacles that covered their eyes completely and drew the outline of a tall door on the wall with some kind of thin, sticky rope. They then pulled back to the edge of the clearing to wait with the others. The plan was for both this small force and the main army led by Durin to attack at the same time, just as the first rays of sun reached the gate below. High on the mountain, the sun hit them first. As they waited for the light to reach the gate the soldiers readied their weapons as the wolves armored up. The Dwarves who had not seen this up close watched curiously as the armor flowed out of the collars of the animals. There was a long, quiet moment of anticipation.  
“Go!” Ian said, watching the sun hit the gate and the army begin to stream in below them. The rectangle on the stone wall crumbled silently to dust, revealing a dark passage leading downward. The Dwarves all gasped, their minds immediately thinking of another use for that rope. The Sardaukar went first, Ian and Kaylea leading the way. Thorin followed with his men. The passage was quite long and took several turns before opening into a wide corridor leading into the Hall. There had been a second door at the bottom which the soldiers had also blown. The vanguard of the army was already approaching the ruined bridge from the other side when Thorin led his men out into the Hall. Kaylea’s men must have cleared every lightwell because the place was bathed in morning light, the Dwarves could not stop themselves from marvelling at the sight. The main hall was huge, many times the size of the Hall of Kings in Erebor. The columns were cunningly worked, the vaulted ceiling carved and inlaid with colored stone.  
“Here they come,” Kaylea said. Thorin then realized the sound he was hearing was drums from somewhere deep below the city. There was the orange glow of torches and the sound of many feet coming up the wide corridors at the back of the hall. His men quickly went to help secure the bridge that the main army was now moving into place, they had brought long spikes and hammers just for this purpose. As the goblin army poured out of the tunnels, they hesitated at the light in the Hall, but were pressed forward by those behind them. Pilot tossed his cloak aside and strode forward to confront the horde, his pink ears folded against his head, the end of his long tail twitching.  
Thorin looked at Kaylea and Ian, expecting them to follow the telepath, but they remained where they were. Kaylea saw his look of surprise and smiled.  
“Give him some space to work,” she said. “Pick up the stragglers.” Her men fanned out in a semicircle some distance behind the Kzin.  
Thorin watched as the Kzin looked down, apparently concentrating. When he looked up every goblin in the Hall fell over dead.  
“I hope he is planning to leave a few for us,” it was Durin who had just come across the bridge to join his father. There was a sudden outcry behind them, the goblins had opened a passage to the First Hall and were were pouring out trying to cut the Dwarf army in two. Durin turned to run back across the bridge, Pilot looked over his shoulder. Thorin assumed those goblins were now also dead, it seemed Kaylea had not over exaggerated the abilities of the Kzin. Another wave poured into the hall, with them came cave trolls. Pilot looked at Kaylea, who nodded back.  
“He is going to concentrate on the trolls, they are harder to kill so some of these goblins are going to get past him,” she said to Thorin. Six of the Dorsai moved to form a circle around the Kzin, the rest of them prepared to hit the goblin army, the wolves ran in grabbing goblins and shaking the life from them.  
From that moment on it was grim and bloody work. Wave after wave of goblins hit the Dwarves in the Hall, many simply dropped over dead as Pilot seized their minds, the others the Dwarves and Sardaukar slew until the corpses were piled high and the floors were slick with blood. The Dwarves had acquitted themselves well in the Army of the West, but this was their fight. Their hatred of the goblins was deep and bitter. It was late in the afternoon when the fighters finally had a respite, for the first time that day no wave of goblins appeared to replace the slain. Kaylea and Thorin leaned on their swords and looked at each other. Pilot came over, wiping blood off his black four-fingered hands with a cloth. Thorin had seen the Kzin could kill his enemies just as effectively with his long claws as with his mind.  
“That is almost all they are going to throw at us now,” Pilot said. “The rest have gone deep.” He pointed at the tunnel on the north side of the hall. “About two hundred orcs are about to come up that passage,” he said. “I am going to put them to work carrying all these bodies out. Pass the word along to your men if you would, your majesty.”  
Thorin nodded to the Kzin, then called a nearby Dwarf to pass the word. He turned to watch as the orcs came into the Hall and threw down their weapons, each grabbed two or three dead goblins and headed for the bridge.  
Just as the first orcs reached the bridge a shout went up from the First Hall. Another company of orcs had come up the side passage, Thorin and Kaylea looked at each other. Durin was up there. Kaylea looked quickly at Pilot.  
The Kzin shook his head. “There is something in the rock up there shielding them from me. I did not see them coming and now I am holding all these orcs.”  
Thorin and Kaylea took off running across the bridge and up the stairs to the upper Hall. Ian and eight other Sardaukar followed. The Dwarves had set up a defensive line but the orcs were pressing them hard. More Dwarves followed Thorin to reinforce them, and the Sardaukar drove into the orcs from one side, collapsing their formation. Thorin had just joined the fight when he looked to the side to see a cave troll leap out of the passage and knock his son to the ground with his mace, then land a blow on his back. The troll raised his mace again to strike, but Kaylea was faster and threw herself over the unconscious Durin. The creature’s mace hit her hard with a metallic sounding thud. Ajax launched himself at the creature, holding his arm back so he could not strike another blow. The troll moved to brush the wolf off, giving Thorin time to get there and with a boost from Aramsham take off the creature’s head, thankful once again for the sword Kaylea had given him. Thorin saw Kaylea roll off Durin grimacing in pain, one of her soldiers was there to haul her to her feet, another picked up Durin and they retreated from the battle towards the lower hall. Thorin turned to the attacking orcs, his face dark with anger. Moria had already cost him his father and grandfather, now the orcs had injured two who he loved most in the world. He shouted at his men to renew their attack and jumped into the fray like a man possessed, cutting down orcs to either side of him. Seeing the King leading the charge the Dwarves rallied and quickly beat the attack back. When the last orc had been slain Thorin directed his men to seal up the passage, there would be no more surprise attacks. Then his thoughts swiftly turned to his son and his wife, he headed to the Second Hall to find them. He passed a wide entry to a kind of eating hall, the tables there now covered with the wounded, Dwarvish and Dorsai healers moving amongst them. Past that door was a smaller one with two Sardaukar standing in front of it. One of them saw him coming and opened the door. It was a sort of office, furnished with desks and chairs. Durin was laid out face down on a wide desk, a Dorsai standing next to him doing something with a slim instrument between what looked like two large polished metal spiders.  
Thorin rushed to his son. “He lives?”  
The soldier nodded. “He will be some time healing. Broken ribs, collapsed lung, several vertebrae in his spine were fractured. One more like that would have killed him, but he will live” he nodded to the two spidery machines. Their slender arms holding long cuts in his son’s back open while working inside with several legs. Thorin suddenly thought this is what Kaylea had probably used on him at the Battle of the Five Armies, more marvels from her world.  
“Where is Kaylea?” The Dorsai gestured behind him with his head. Thorin walked around the desk to find her stretched out on the floor, eyes closed, arms clasped over her chest.  
Alarmed, he knelt beside her. “My love! Are you injured?”  
She opened her eyes to look at him. “No, my king. Just need a few moments to catch my breath. That thing packed a punch.”  
“I daresay Durin would not be alive if you had not been there,” Thorin stroked her hair, a worried look on his face. “Are you sure you are alright?”  
“Never better,” Kaylea closed her eyes again. “I assume you took care of those orcs?” Thorin nodded, then sat on the floor holding her hand, he looked up at the soldier standing beside his son. “How badly was she hit?”  
“Could have been worse,” the Dorsai said, not looking up from his task. “The armor took most of the blow. Cracked a couple ribs, internal bruising. She is going to be sore.”  
Kaylea chuckled. “If you can feel pain, it means you are not dead, right soldier?.”  
“Yes, sir.” The soldier grinned.  
Thorin shook his head, the Dorsai had the oddest sense of humor. Kaylea opened her eyes again, she reached up to touch Thorin’s beard.  
“You have won a great victory today,” she said. “You should be out in the Hall celebrating.”  
“How can I celebrate when two people more important to me than any kingdom lie here injured?” Thorin shook his head. “I belong here with you, my love.”  
“You belong out there with your people,” Kaylea replied. “Right now they are looking for you. Where is he? Where is the King of Moria?”  
Thorin frowned at her. “Let them look. I will not leave you.”  
“Odin’s beard!” Kaylea swore softly, giving him an exasperated look. She held up a hand. “Help me up, husband.” Thorin frowned but stood and took her hand, pulling her to her feet. Kaylea grimaced in pain as she straightened up, took a deep breath. Thorin looked at her concerned, he did not know what ‘internal bruising’ was, but it did not sound good. He moved close to her side, steading her with his hands.  
“You should rest,” he said seriously. Kaylea smiled wryly at him.  
“I was resting, you are the one who will not leave me to it.” She looked over at Durin, the surgery units had closed up the wound they had been working on along his spine and were working on his side now. “What is his status?”  
“Vertebrae fractures are repaired, doing the ribs and the lung now, sir,” the soldier replied. “He will be in bed a few days. When I am done here I will move him to the infirmary.”  
“You did reset the protocols?” Kaylea actually felt that giving boosterspice to Thorin was the best mistake she had ever made, but it should not be repeated.  
“Yes, sir”  
Kaylea nodded, then headed to the door. She pulled it open and motioned for Thorin to go through. As soon as he walked into the Hall shouts went up around him. “The King! The King!” The Dwarves crowded around him, reaching out to touch him. Thorin smiled as he moved between them. Kaylea hung back, letting the Dwarves sweep their King away. The Hall was a buzz of activity. Pilot’s orcs were rapidly clearing the bodies of the fallen, he was sitting against the wall nearby watching them. The Dwarves had already brought stone from the side passage in the First Hall and were repairing and enlarging the broken bridge. Many Dwarves were wandering the Hall marvelling at the stonework. As Kaylea came out the door of the office she saw movement at the back of the Hall, Ian and a group of her soldiers disappeared down a tunnel, no doubt off to hunt some monsters. She went to stand beside Pilot, leaning against the wall to stay upright. The Kzin glanced up at her with tired eyes, he looked like he could use a few hours sleep.  
Thorin was making his way to a large piece of fallen stone, he jumped up on it so he could be seen across the Hall. As the Dwarves became aware the King was among them they stopped what they were doing and gathered to listen.  
“Today we have won a great victory,” Thorin began. A number of shouts went up around him, he held up his hands for quiet. “It is only the first step in reclaiming this great city, there is still much work to be done. Today we rejoice, we have taken back these halls, never again will we desert them!”  
There was much shouting of agreement at this. Calls of “Hail the King!” “Hail the King of Moria!” rose from the crowd. Again, Thorin put up his hands for silence.  
“I will not be King in Moria,” he said. There was much muttering at this, but Thorin spoke over it. “There is too much grief in this city for me. Even now I cannot look at these walls without thinking what they cost my father and grandfather. And it is a young man’s task to rebuild this great place.” At this there was much laughter, as Thorin now looked the same age as his eldest son. He smiled at the assembled Dwarves. “I know I do not look my age, but I feel it in my bones. I have devoted my life to Erebor. I will remain King there and Thror will rule there after me. This kingdom will be Durin’s task to rule.” There was more muttering at this, but also many sounds of agreement. Durin was well-liked by all and his bravery this day could not be questioned.  
Thorin looked out at the assembled Dwarves. “I believe we still have a few kegs of whiskey in the wagons, lets us pass out a measure to all here tonight and drink to those that gave their lives for Khazad-dum. Because of their sacrifice we will be able to once again make this city the wonder of Middle Earth!” There was a great shout at this and Thorin jumped down, his men crowded around. The King spoke to each and thanked them for their bravery.  
Voices were starting to rise from the crowd. “Hail to the King! Hail to the Queen!” “The Queen, the Queen!” Kaylea saw Thorin look over their heads at her, she straightened up willing the pain away.  
“You’re up,” Pilot said wryly. Kaylea smiled at him and started to walk towards Thorin, The shouts continued as she made her way to join him. She held her arms out as she moved through the crowd, letting the Dwarves touch her and guide her towards the King. She did her best to keep from wincing when she was slapped on the back. When she reached Thorin he stepped forward and took her hands in his.  
“Erebor has no Queen,” he said, smiling at his wife. “She has not yet been crowned.”  
“A crown does not make a Queen,” said a grey-haired Dwarf standing next to him. “Make no mistake, your majesty, Queen Shurri is well remembered by all and we love the princes and princess as if they were our own, but those of us who have been with you since the Battle of the Five Armies know you would have preferred a different woman wore that crown.”  
Thorin looked down, smiling crookedly. “I suppose that is not much of a secret,” he said. He looked up at Kaylea before him. “Erebor has been too long without a Queen. Soon we will return there and be married in a proper ceremony. Then I will put that crown on your head you have refused for so long.” He brought her hand to his lips and kissed it. A great shout went up from the Dwarves around them. “Hail to the King! Hail to the Queen!”  
The old Dwarf laughed. “Much as my heart wishes to stay here, I will return to Erebor just to see that!” 

  

III. THE HALLS OF KHAZAD-DUM

The next few days in Moria passed in a flurry of activity. As the Dwarves moved through the city they found it had been long abandoned. Goblins may have dwelt there once but it had not been occupied in many years, the Dwarves clearing it found only empty streets and dwellings. Thorin thought that perhaps it was the losses the goblins had taken at the Battle of the Five Armies that had led them to abandon the city, but there was no way to know for certain. Khazad-dum was constructed in a series of wards, making the city easy to defend as the inhabitants could retreat from one area to the next. Those wards closest to the Halls were cleared in the first days and the Dwarves immediately began repairs to make it habitable again. Others cleared lightwells, closed up all the goblin-made tunnels and cleared the way to the tombs beneath so those that had fallen retaking Moria could be laid to rest there. Here also were laid those who had died in the last attack on Balin’s folk who were found in the records room above the Second Hall. Repairs were started on the wide road that led to the city gates, the wagons that had traveled to Erebor would soon be returning with supplies and those who wanted to help with rebuilding the great city.  
As the Dwarves moved into Moria they spent much time marvelling at the wonders of the place. Erebor was a great city and under King Thorin it had been much expanded and improved but in Moria they saw the work of centuries of the finest Dwarf craftsmen. Wide streets supported by columns carved like trees that arched overhead, city plazas with elaborate fountains, huge buildings of colored stone decorated with detailed carving and statuary. Thorin wandered the city amazed. Privately he wondered if his people would ever be numerous enough again to return Khazad-dum to its former glory.  
The Sardaukar meanwhile occupied themselves with clearing out the lower levels. The mines went on for many miles, stretching all the way through the mountains. Many of the Dwarves were especially eager to see the mines, but Thorin forbade them. First they must make the city habitable again, he said. Then make sure it was secure and could be defended before they began any new works. Thorin knew if his people went into the mines they would quickly lose interest in hunting down goblins, he asked Kaylea to set her soldiers to the task. Kaylea was happy to oblige, she had promised her men a monster hunt and it did make the job easier as the Sardaukar could work in full tactical armor. Using their full range of weapons, scanners and flight capabilities they sent the remaining goblins running for their lives, heading for other strongholds further north in the mountains.  
Three days after the battle of the Halls a messenger came to the Sardaukar camp outside the city gate to tell Kaylea that Prince Durin was asking for her. She found it rather surprising, but let the Dwarf soldier lead her to the infirmary where the Prince was still recuperating.  
Prince Durin was sitting up in bed, talking to several Dwarves sitting around him. He saw Kaylea come in and bade them to leave. When they had gone she took a seat beside him. It still surprised Kaylea how much Durin looked like his father, the same eyes, the same jaw. Durin wore a longer beard and different braids in his hair, but he was almost a mirror image of the King.  
“You are looking much better, your highness,” she said. “You should be up and around in a day or so.”  
“Thank you, my lady,” Durin replied, looking at his hands. “I hear that I have you to thank for saving my life. I want to apologize for the way I have treated you, I have said many unkind things.”  
Kaylea shook her head. “As I once told you, I am happy to lay down my life for yours. That is a soldier’s duty. There is no apology needed, your highness.”  
“Yes, there is,” Durin replied, looking up at her. “I always blamed you for my mother and father not loving each other, but that was not your fault. They were never close, I think I always knew that, but I still resented you.”  
Kaylea regarded him seriously. “You watched your mother die in that accident. I cannot imagine how hard that must have been. It was only natural for you to direct that anger at me”  
Durin shook his head. “No, it was unfair to you to do so. My father has loved you for a very long time, you captured his heart long before he even met mother.” He paused and held out his hand to her. “Will you forgive me?”  
Kaylea clasped his hand in hers. “Of course.”  
“Thank you,” Durin said, very relieved. “I feel as if a great weight has been lifted off my shoulders.” He looked down, smoothing his sheet. “I know you have been a valued advisor to my father, any advice for me as it appears I am to rule over this kingdom?”  
Kaylea frowned at him. “The King did not tell you he would make you King of Moria?”  
“No,” Durin said, shaking his head. “It was quite a surprise when I woke up after being injured. I thought he would reign here, and my brother Thror in Erebor.”  
“Reclaiming Moria was the dream of his grandfather, not Thorin himself. I think he saw this as finishing what Thror started, but his home will always be Erebor.” Kaylea smiled at the prince. “I would take this as a sign of the confidence your father has in you, to entrust the greatest of all Dwarf kingdoms to your care. Follow his example and you will do well. Place more value on your subjects than on the jewels of the earth, surround yourself with experts and take their advice, deal with everyone fairly from the lowest miner to the greatest kings, and honor your word.”  
Durin smiled at her. “Wise words, I will remember them well. And what about you, my lady, are you ready to be crowned Queen of Erebor? I hear the whole city is abuzz with the preparations.”  
“Really?” This was news to Kaylea, Thorin had said nothing of the kind.  
Durin looked abashed. “I hope I have not revealed some great secret! My father has been much in contact with his sister through the ravens, the crown is being made and the ceremony arranged. I thought you knew.”  
Kaylea smiled warmly at him. “I do now. Thank you, your highness, I am not fond of surprises. Perhaps we could keep this between us?”  
Durin laughed. “Of course, it will be our secret!” He looked past Kaylea’s shoulder to the door, his face becoming suddenly serious. Kaylea turned to see Thorin coming across the room towards them. He stopped beside her chair, laying a hand on her shoulder.  
“I hope my son is being polite,” he said, glowering at the Prince.  
Kaylea turned to look up at him. “Yes. You will be glad to hear we are friends now.”  
Thorin looked from one to the other of them skeptically. “That is good news.” He looked at Kaylea.“How soon will we be able to go into the mines? There are many anxious to start work on the forges. I confess I am very curious to see them myself.”  
“We have a couple more days work, husband,” Kaylea replied. She looked back at Durin. “When you are up and around the two of you can join us for a journey through the mines to the other side of the mountains. I understand we need to get the streams running through the city again.”  
Durin’s eyes lit up at this. “I am already nearly recovered, thanks to your excellent medicine. I will be ready to accompany you, I am anxious to see the extent of this kingdom I have been given to rule.” 

Two days later the party that was to pass through the mines of Moria was assembling at the start of a wide tunnel that led to the forges. It was almost forty miles to the other side where the Sirannon once flowed out of the city, beside the West door. They knew from Gimli’s account that the door was destroyed, the river dammed and some foul creature lived in the resulting lake. Moria had once had the river and several streams rushing through it, powering much of the machinery of the city. Now there was standing water in many places and the machines were idle. Readying themselves for the journey were Kaylea and five of her soldiers, including Ian and Aramsham. Thorin and Durin were accompanying them along with Farlin, another of their kin. Farlin was one of the best ax-fighters Thorin had ever seen, and also a mining engineer. He told Thorin he would have to put him in irons to keep him from being the first to see the fabled forges.  
When all was ready the party started down the tunnel, the wolves trotted ahead and Ian led the way with two soldiers, the Dwarves followed with Thorin at the back just in front of Kaylea. The rest of her squad brought up the rear. Thorin noticed the Sardaukar were all wearing some kind of lightweight spectacles that wrapped over their eyes. He turned to Kaylea and tapped his temple.  
“Do you have some of those for us?”  
Kaylea chuckled. “I understood Dwarves could see in the dark.”  
“Better than Men or Elves and the dark does not bother us, but with those I wager you have the advantage.”  
Aramsham, who had been listening, tapped Kaylea on the shoulder and held up three pairs of tactical glasses. Kaylea took them with a smile, he always thought of everything. She passed them on to Thorin, who handed them to Farlin and his son. When he put them on Thorin almost stopped dead in his tracks. The tunnel was illuminated as if by daylight, he could see every detail clearly. Ahead of him Farlin burst out laughing.  
“I hope you are not expecting me to give these back!” He exclaimed.  
They walked for almost an hour before the tunnel suddenly opened up into a huge space, the ceiling disappearing overhead, the great forges of Moria lined up on one side. Soft light from distant lightwells filtered into the vast space, giving it a somewhat haunted look. The Dwarves rushed forward, climbing into the forges and looking them over carefully, talking excitedly amongst themselves.  
“Well, we lost them,” Kaylea said with a smile. “We will be here for awhile, take a load off.” The soldiers put down their packs and sat on them to wait. It was almost two hours before the Dwarves returned, their faces full of excitement. Thorin at least was apologetic.  
“I am sorry to keep you waiting,” he said. “The forges of Moria are legendary among my people, we could not just pass them by.”  
“Most of them need only minor repair, which is very good news,” Durin said excitedly. “And many of the coal bins are full, we will not lack fuel to run them.  
“Can we go now, your majesty? We have a long hike ahead of us,” Ian asked tersely, shouldering his pack. Thorin nodded and the party set out again, following the tramway into the mines. They had gone only a short distance when the reached the stamp mill, more than a hundred of them lined up in a great natural cavern, presumably to absorb some of the noise. Once again the three Dwarves disappeared, but they came back more quickly this time. The rest of the day passed uneventfully, the party walked through natural caverns, tunnels and stopes, sometimes on wide roads, sometimes on narrow paths along sidewallls with huge shafts opening beside them. Occasionally Farlin would run down a tunnel or stop to inspect a stope, and he looked over the tools and machinery they came across carefully. They came to many junctions and places where several tunnels came together, but Ian seemed to know where he was going and never hesitated. They were going almost straight westward and downward. Occasionally the sound of running water could be heard deep below them, but they heard nothing else and saw no sign of goblins.  
After they had been walking for what seemed like days they came to another junction of tunnels, this one had several rooms opening off it. Ian led the way into one and threw down his pack.  
“Time for a break,” he said. The Dwarves gladly put down their packs and sat down. Dwarves are hardy folk and pride themselves on their ability to keep working through any hardship but Ian with his long legs was setting a murderous pace. Farlin lay his head on his pack and was almost immediately asleep. The soldiers stacked up some of the firewood they were carrying and started a little fire in the hearth in the corner, another set out tiny devices that emitted bright white light. Thorin sat down against the wall next to Kaylea as she dug in her pack. He took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes, wearing them he had quite forgotten how dark it was around them. He leaned his head back and had almost drifted off to sleep went the smell of hot food made him sit forward. Aramsham was coming around with square plates of spicy beef and some kind of rice, a roll and even some kind of dense cake for desert. The smell awakened Farlin who immediately sat up.  
“Thank you, sir! If I was a younger man I would ask to join your army,” he said, digging into his food. Thorin also had to admit it was a good deal better than cram, although he did wonder where it had come from as they had not been stopped long enough to do any cooking. As they ate the Dwarves talked about all they had seen that day. Farlin and Durin were both concerned about how haphazard the works seemed to be, like the Dwarves working it had followed veins without any thought of a plan. They had all noticed there was still much good ore easily accessible.  
“The wealth of Moria was in mithril,” Thorin said. “They passed everything else to mine that alone, to their downfall.” He put a hand on Durin’s shoulder. “We will not make that mistake again.” Durin nodded, just the exposed ore he had seen today was enough to keep the forges busy for years. And he had seen signs that there was much mithril yet to be found.  
Just then the wolves appeared, trotting into the room. Ajax came to sit beside Thorin, sniffing at his elbow. “Go find yourself a goblin to eat,” he said, moving his plate away. For answer Ajax stretched out at Kaylea’s feet, sighing. She threw him a slab of some dark meat which he eagerly devoured.  
Thorin leaned against Kaylea, feeling content as he always did when he was with her. He put his head on her shoulder, inhaling her scent. It always made him think of their first night together, galloping through the pines on her big horse. He must have dozed off because when he opened his eyes, his head was in Kaylea’s lap and much time seemed to have passed. Kaylea, Ian and Aramsham were there, the other Dorsai were gone. Durin and Farin were on the floor snoring with their heads on their packs.  
Thorin looked up at his wife. “How long have I been asleep?”  
“Almost six hours,” she smiled at him, running her fingers over his hair. Thorin sat up and kissed her, gently at first, then more passionately. Kaylea put her arms around him, holding him close, enjoying the feel of his beard against her face, the taste of his mouth.  
“Cool it, you two,” Ian said from where he was sitting by the fire. Thorin ran his fingers down one of his wife's braids, then took her hand and kissed it. Kaylea smiled at him.  
“Sorry, brother,” she said, staring into Thorin’s eyes. “I am powerless to resist him.”  
Thorin leaned in to kiss her again but paused at the sound of footsteps outside the room, the other three soldiers appeared out of the darkness. This seemed to be the signal to leave as the Sardaukar quickly busied themselves securing their packs and weapons.  
The second day and much of the third passed the same as the first. Empty tunnels and halls, narrow paths, shafts that opened up out of nowhere. They traveled through a part of the mine that seemed in much disrepair, there were often cracks in the paths they had to jump and places where the tunnels had partly collapsed. In several places they came across expanses of standing water.  
Halfway through their third day the tunnels suddenly seemed to be in good repair again, Ian led them on a more upward path through many rooms and halls then they came to the top of a wide staircase leading downward. The bottom of it covered with broken rock, and also the mummified bodies of many Dwarves. Durin and Thorin moved among them looking at the bodies carefully.  
“I believe these are some of those who followed Balin here,” Thorin said. “They must have tried to get out this way and were not able to open the door.” He looked at the pile of rock two of the Sardaukar were climbing over.  
“Everyone to the top,” Ian said as he came up the stairs past the Dwarves, motioning them to follow him. They had barely reached the hall at the top when there was a rumble behind them and suddenly the stairway was flooded with afternoon light. The rock had been blown out of the way, the lake lapped at the bottom of the stairs.  
The party descended once more and stopped at the shore of the wide lake where once the Sirrannon had flowed over the falls. The water was wide and still as a mirror, the place had an evil feel. The wolves were sniffing suspiciously. Thorin turned to Durin and was about to remark on it when something grabbed his ankle and he was dragged into the lake, he had a sense his son and the Sardaukar were being dragged in as well. He had enough presence of mind to draw a deep breath before going under. Fortunately he had not lost his glasses and could see a green tentacle wrapped around his leg, he drew his knife and stabbed at it, once, twice. Whatever it was let him go and he drove for the surface, drawing a quick breath before being pulled under again. Thorin had lost his glasses but he could feel the tentacle around his ankle and stabbed at it again, this time it refused to let go. His lungs were starting to scream when he saw a sword flash in the murky water and a strong arm enfolded him, taking him to the surface. He knew it was Kaylea before he saw her face break the surface of the water. They swam quickly to the shore, Durin and Farlin were there with Aramsham and two of the other soldiers. Thorin was barely out of the water when another tentacle snaked out of the water towards him, but Kaylea was faster, cutting it off with her sword. She had barely finished the stroke when she was pulled into the water again. Thorin saw Ajax jump towards the spot she had disappeared and put his hand out to meet the dire wolf’s chest. He knew he could not physically stop him, but Kaylea had a better chance underwater than her wolf. Ajax pulled up, whining worriedly, Thorin stood beside him watching the water in the lake churn wildly. Something whistled past his ear and hit the surface of the lake, then the dam exploded outward, the water draining in a rush. Thorin quickly glanced behind him to see Aramsham now wearing his tactical armor, his left arm was extended, the rocket launcher collapsing into his gauntlet. Once again he wondered how he knew these things, was there anything the Kzin had not put in his head?  
“What is that?!” Durin exclaimed, staring into the ravine that had held the lake.  
“And what are they wearing?” Farlin added, amazed.  
In what had been the lake bottom four armored figures were battling a huge creature that seemed a mass of tentacles. It thrashed and struck at them, grabbing and throwing them about. The Sardaukar were using plasma beams to cut the tentacles away, though they seemed to have no effect on the creature’s body. Ajax and the other wolves ran to join the fight, Thorin wanted to follow them but the steep sides of the former lake were slick with algae, he was more likely to injure himself than be any help. He heard Aramsham launch himself into the air, he flew in a wide arc and landed square on top of the thing. Immediately a dozen tentacles reached for him, the creature rolled and opened its mouth. This seemed to be what the Sardaukar were waiting for, the largest figure who had to be Ian drew both swords and launched himself into the things mouth, bursting out the creature’s side. It shuddered and fell still. The Dwarves watched as the armored figures slapped each other on the back and then turned to climb out of the ravine. Their armor receded into the backplates they were wearing, very much the way the armor of the wolves fitted into their collars, they were laughing and joking like the whole thing had been tremendous fun.  
“Where is it these Dorsai come from exactly?” Farlin asked, giving Thorin a curious look.  
Thorin put a hand on his shoulder. “Kaylea is going to take me there soon, my friend,” he said. “I have been very curious to see her land, it must be a place of many marvels.”  
“Bring some of that armor back with you, father,” Durin said with a smile. “Those could be very useful.”  
Kaylea and her soldiers were green with algae by the time they had scrambled to the top of the ravine. Thorin stepped forward to take his wife’s hands in his as she stepped lightly over the slick rocks of the shore. They stood and laughed at each other, both looked a sight, covered with mud and algae.  
“That was fun,” Ian was saying. “Think there are any more of those?” The big man was actually smiling, showing even white teeth.  
The river was now beginning to flow quickly out of the mine, black and foul smelling. It would take many days before it ran clear again, but it would not be long now before the city would be functioning again. The afternoon was wearing on, the sun already low in the sky. Aramsham found a clear stream running out of the mountains a short distance from the ruined door and the party decided to get cleaned up and camp in the hall at the top of the stairs for the night. Durin wanted to block up the entrance and they needed to lay out the bodies of the Dwarves that had fallen on the stairs so they could be recovered.  
Kaylea and Thorin let the others clean up first and go back to set up camp, then they took their turn. They were far up on the western slopes of the Misty Mountains here, the foothills marching away before them. It was refreshing to feel to feel the sun on their faces and cool water on their skin after the long trek through the old mines. It took a bit of time to scrub off the mud. Thorin watched as Kaylea rinsed out her hair, thinking she looked like some kind of water goddess rising naked from the stream. He reached over and picked up the metal plate that she had been wearing on her back that he now knew contained a full set of armor. He turned it over in his hands, marvelling at it, this plate had saved her back from that troll’s mace.  
“I no longer want a rifle,” he said. “Can I have one of these?”  
Kaylea laughed. “All in good time, husband!” She sat down next to him, shaking her clothes out. They would take some time to dry completely but at least they were clean. “I did warn you that in order to be with me in the Empire you will have to complete the Sardaukar training. You will have your own armor and as many guns as you want.”  
“I will need them to chase off the other Imrahils,” Thorin said, only half joking. He gave his wife a sideways glance. “I will not tolerate them pursuing you, you know that.”  
Kaylea looked at him, her face grave. “You are the keeper of my heart, it belongs to no other.”  
“As mine belongs only to you,” he said, drawing her to him to kiss her. When he drew back Thorin looked out at the land falling away to the West, the sun was almost down the warm rays felt good on his skin. For so much of his life he had thought only of reclaiming Erebor from the dragon, now he had also retaken Moria. Once that would have been more than enough to make him content, but that was before he met this beautiful warrior from the stars. She who had made him young again, who had given him a whole new life. Erebor would always be his home, and he would still make her his queen but he found himself more and more looking forward to the adventures she had promised. Not many got the chance to live a second life, he intended to make the most of it.  
When Thorin and Kaylea walked back to the mine they found Durin and Farlin fitting rocks together to close the opening left by the shattered door.  
“I for one am sorry for the loss of that door,” Kaylea said, looking at the threshold. “It was truly beautiful.”  
Durin looked up at her. “Do remember it well enough to draw it for me, my lady? I will have it rebuilt as it was.”  
Kaylea nodded. “I remember it well, your highness. I do not know if such craft has survived among your people.”  
“Never underestimate Dwarves,” Durin said, drawing himself up. Thorin heard him and nodded approvingly. He lay a hand on his son’s arm and turned to help with the stone.


	5. Beyond Erebor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Where does Kaylea Wolf come from? Who is this mysterious lord she serves? Thorin Oakenshield is about to learn the answer, but in a way he could never have expected. He must question his wife’s loyalty and strike a bargain with her powerful lord before the Warrior and The King can begin their life together. And then Thorin will discover the adventures Kaylea’s world will have in store for him. 
> 
> This story grew out of the original ending I envisioned for The Warrior and The King, Book II. I don’t know if anyone is interested in Dwarves and Elves in outer space, but it was fun to write a story about these two where I didn’t have to spend hours pouring over Tolkien’s maps.

1\. A CHANCE MEETING

Bauer slipped the memory stick into his pocket. “We got the list, let’s bounce.”   
Kaylea Wolf nodded, she picked up the first drink from the line in front of her and tossed it back. Bauer glanced at the line of untouched glasses, each with a contact number on the side. They were undercover today, out of uniform Kaylea always did attract attention. There was the sound of a fight starting in the game room, furniture hitting the floor. A good time to leave. Kaylea was right behind him when she suddenly stopped in her tracks, without a word she turned and sprinted for the saloon.   
She reached the archway just as a huge Corellian stumbled back into her. He had drawn a weapon, pointing it at the man who seemed to be the cause of the dispute. She put a hand over his face and broke his neck with a smooth motion, pushing him aside. Bauer stepped in quickly to block an Andorian who was coming at her, dodging the man’s knife and putting him down with an elbow to the face. The next Andorian came at him a knife in each hand, Bauer blocked the first with his arm, turned the other and stabbed him in the chest. Kaylea swept the Kree that came at her off his feet, stepped on his throat then tossed another into the wall. The man they were ganging up on had already laid out a Corellian, he took a Kree down with a headbutt and drove a knife through his throat. It was over in seconds. The other patrons, who were watching disinterestedly, went back to their games.   
Bauer looked at the man at the center of the fight, uttering an oath at the Kree in some harsh language. Average height, bit on the short side, handsome with a definite aristocratic air to him, dark hair flowing past his shoulders and full, close-trimmed beard. His clothes were custom made and expensive, Bauer did not recognize him as a member of any of the Great Houses but he had to be one. With all that hair definitely not from Sparta; it was an impressive mane, complete with braids and silver ornaments. The man glanced up and saw Kaylea, who was smiling widely at him. All the color drained from his face, he rushed forward and threw his arms around her hugging her close. Kaylea closed her eyes and hugged him back, they stood that way for a long moment. Now it was Bauer’s turn to stare. He had never seen the general get that close to anyone.   
“I have so longed to see a familiar face,” the man said softly into her shoulder. “I cannot believe after all this time the first one I see is yours.”   
Who the hell is this guy? Bauer wondered. “Sir, we need to move.”   
The bearded man started to speak again, but Kaylea warned him with a glance, shaking her head sharply.   
The man nodded then stooped to pick up the larger credit chips, stuffing them into his pockets. One of the club’s bouncers came in with a couple cleaning droids and surveyed the room, then took a step back and raised his hands when he saw the two Dorsai.   
“There’s enough on the floor to take care of the damages. Don’t want any trouble.” He nodded towards the back of the club. “Response is on its way.”   
Bauer led the way out the back door, down the alley to the main street where he hailed a cab. He gave the general a questioning look.  
“Smuggler’s,” she said. The cab started chattering away about the city’s more expensive dining and lodging options, falling silent as soon as it read Kaylea’s ID. It immediately lifted into the air to take the fastest route. The long-haired man started to speak but she shook her head. Bauer studied the two of them. What struck him immediately was how they were sitting, their bodies touching. Then the man took her hand in his, bringing it to his lips while she smiled softly at him. There was such obvious affection between them Bauer almost broke protocol to ask who this guy was. He had been General Wolf’s aide for the last six years and while he knew she had a number of admirers he had no idea she had a lover. As they drove Bauer kept pressure on his forearm. He was bleeding where he had blocked the Andorian’s knife, he debated getting out his field kit, but he could fix it when they got to the club.  
Twelve minutes later the cab descended to the gate of Sparta’s oldest and most exclusive club. A scanner floated in, they held up their wrists for ID. “Good evening, General Wolf,” an exquisite brunette appeared on the screen. “Always a pleasure to see you. Will you be dining with us this evening?”  
“Yes,” Kaylea replied. “Bringing a guest.”   
The gate swung open and the cab continued up the drive, letting them out at the entrance. The Smuggler’s Club was centuries old, built in the style of the First Empire, it sat high above the city, with sweeping views of Calladan and its wide harbor. The brunette met them inside the door, her hourglass figure poured into a long black dress.   
“You will want to get cleaned up first.” This was not a question. “I will send drinks to your table. The usual?”   
“Two of whatever she is having,” said the bearded man, nodding at Kaylea.   
Bauer led the way to to the head. He took off his jacket to inspect his arm, Should have worn the long armorskin. He hit the switch on the surgery unit on the wall to get it glued. Looking at his face in the mirror he could see he had blood splatter on his neck. He could do with a shave, too.   
“What is this place?” The stranger asked, he also had removed his jacket and was washing his face and hands.   
“Oldest and most exclusive club on Sparta,” Bauer replied. “Members only, uncrackable AI security. We can talk here. I’m Troy Bauer, by the way. General Wolf’s aide.”   
“Thorin Oakenshield,” said the man, rebuttoning his cuffs. He wet his hands and ran them through his hair. “Thank you for your help back there.”   
What kind of name is Thorin Oakenshield? Bauer wondered. Who IS this guy?   
Several minutes later, Bauer followed Thorin out to the dining room to see him and Kaylea wrapped in a passionate embrace in a booth by the window. Bauer was completely mystified, this had obviously been going on for some time and the general had never said a word about it. He reached the table just as the club’s owner walked up in his trademark dark purple suit.   
“You will be needing this,” he said, holding up a keycard. “Unless you are planning to do it here, in which case I will start selling tickets.” He set the card on the table.   
Kaylea nodded to him. “Please forgive the display, we have not seen each other in a few years,” she gestured toward Thorin. “May I present Thorin Oakenshield. Thorin, this is Reitan, our host.”   
Reitan nodded to him, the whites of his eyes flashing in his dark face. “A pleasure to meet you, sir. A bit more decorum from you both, if you don’t mind.” He gave them a warning glance and moved away.   
“So, you two know each other?” Bauer asked with a smile as he sat down on the other side of the table.   
“We’ve met before,” Thorin said, smiling. A waiter came over with drinks and took their dinner order. When the waiter moved away Thorin turned to Kaylea with a frown.   
“This is another one who knows nothing about me?”  
“We agreed to keep it quiet until things were settled,” Kaylea replied.   
“Yes, but you have not even told your aide?” Thorin asked in disbelief. “Are you embarrassed of me?”   
Kaylea’s eyes widened. She kept her face still but Bauer could see that had hit her hard. “My king, that is not fair,” she shook her head. “I have told you why I must be silent.”  
Bauer could see Thorin’s face soften, he seemed to sense he had hit a bit harder than he meant to. Interesting. He would have to know her very well to have seen that. And had she just called him “king”?  
“Will we ever be done with the secrecy?”   
“I have Blackwolf’s promise to give me the shield codes,” Kaylea said. “However, now we may need to renegotiate. As soon as he sees the two of us together he will know and everything will be in the open.” She squeezed his hand. “But tell me what are you doing here? Or I should ask, how did you get here?”   
Thorin swallowed his shot. “You will have to ask Thranduil that, he’s the one who sent me.”   
“Thranduil?” Kaylea seemed amazed.  
“You know how you were always telling me to make peace with him? Well, I decided to do it but at the last minute he decided to be an asshole again. I had just made up my mind to leave when he does something, gestures toward me and I am falling. Fell for what seemed like ages through a sort of rainbow, landed in a dry wash on Myr. That was almost six years ago.”   
Kaylea stared at him, obviously shocked. “You have been here for six years? Why didn’t you call me?”   
Thorin smiled ruefully. “I left my device back in Erebor. Didn’t want to take the chance of it falling into Thranduil’s hands if things went south. Not like I had your code written down anywhere, or even know that I needed to do that.” The waiter appeared with another round of drinks. “But he did me a favor by sending me to a primitive Rim planet where they still use hard currency, and right next to an Exotics colony that had just lost their blacksmith.”   
Bauer looked at Thorin in astonishment. “You made it from Myr to Sparta in six years with no credit? How?”   
Thorin shrugged. “I worked, traded, learned that dice game. I won that last one fairly, by the way. When I had enough to buy a ticket or chance to work for my transport I would move on to the next place. I figured if I could reach Dorsai, I could find you.” He looked at Kaylea, the affection between the two of them was palpable. “It’s not like I could just call the Sardaukar and ask to speak to the commanding officer. I kept an eye out for a familiar face, but yours it the first I have seen.”   
“You make it sound easy, but I am sure it was not,” Kaylea replied, obviously impressed. “You knew the language, but not much else. How many planets have you been to? And how did you manage the gravity jumps?”   
Thorin nodded. “I was very lucky to land among Exotics, they are always more interested in helping strangers than killing them. And Pilot put a lot of things in my head I didn’t know were there until I needed to use them. This is my sixth planet, just finished up a year on Corvus. One jump from Dorsai and you find me, you could not have shown up three years ago on Terminus.” He chuckled. “That gravity jump to Corvus was a killer, though not so bad with enhancements. Expensive, but there are advantages to wearing a lot of jewelry, and your Empire is sadly lacking in skilled craftsmen.”   
Kaylea shook her head. “I am so sorry, my king. I wanted to return to Erebor right away but events overtook me, as I feared they might. I have been trying to contact you for years now. At first, I thought you were just off travelling somewhere without your device. I was about to ask Blackwolf to activate the shield codes so I could look for you, and all this time you were here!”   
Thorin smiled at her. “I am glad to hear you were worried about me,” he said teasingly.   
Kaylea pushed him in the shoulder. “When have you ever not been able to take care of yourself?”   
From all the talk of Blackwolf and the odd names Bauer guessed this guy must be from the mysterious V33, the planet that was supposedly Lord Blackwolf’s homeworld. The planet did not appear on any star charts and was hidden with an impenetrable planetary shield that also rendered it invisible. Most who went there had their minds wiped but he had often heard Kaylea and the Graham brothers talk about it. Ian’s wife was from there, interesting that Kaylea’s lover was as well.   
Their meals arrived and they ate in silence for a time, the food was real and excellent. The Smuggler’s Club was old school, the interior all polished dark wood and black metal. A many armed Vroon was playing background music on a long piano, the lights of the city below sparkled through the tall windows. Originally started as a neutral meeting place for the galactic trading organizations, it was now a place where you could find gunrunners, senators, media stars and spies, sometimes all at the same table. Most of the widely spaced booths were occupied this evening, the tables positioned so the occupants could be seen, but dampers making the conversations inaudible.   
Bauer finished first and pushed his plate back. “I need to call Javid.” He got up to use one of the hardlines. As he set the meet he turned back to watch Kaylea and Thorin at the table, he was stroking her hair, the smaller braids she wore inside the large one down her back. He had noticed Thorin had the same braids, it made him wonder how long they had been a couple.   
When Bauer returned to the booth, the keycard Reitan had left caught his eye. The rooms at this place were legendary. Smiling he slid it across the table to her. “I can meet the contact, sir. Why don’t you two take some time and catch up? I can put in for a morning departure.”   
The general shook her head, but then she paused before speaking.  
“See you in the morning, sir,” Bauer said. Before she could answer he walked away.   
“Let’s go find out where this room is,” he heard Thorin say. “I want to make love to my wife.”   
Odin’s teeth, did I just hear that right? Bauer thought, almost tripping. 

When Bauer got back to the ship he went looking for Pilot. He found the Kzin packing his bag, he was taking a transport back to Belka for another assignment. He had been on V33 several times with the general and Oakenshield had mentioned the telepath put things in his head.   
“Who is Thorin Oakenshield?”   
The Kzin glanced up at him, his ears unfolding. “Why do you ask?”   
Bauer summed up the events of the evening. He could see the little ripple in the orange fur of the telepath’s forehead appear that meant he was scanning for someone, it relaxed after a few seconds. He looked at Bauer, obviously considering what to tell him.   
“If I show you who he is you will need to bury it deep, though I imagine the general will soon reveal it herself.”   
Bauer met his green eyes unflinchingly. “You know I can keep a secret.” He braced himself for the telepathic connection, it always gave him a weird feeling of vertigo. When Pilot showed him, he blinked in surprise. Odin’s beard! How had she managed to keep this quiet? The general had known Oakenshield for almost a hundred years and they had been through a number of adventures together on his home planet, which he called Middle Earth. He was a great King in his land and Kaylea was now his Queen, they had been married for more than ten years.   
Pilot regarded him quietly, his lips curled into a smile with just the tips of his pointed teeth showing. “Now, you stay quiet.”   
Bauer nodded in response, still stunned, and went to start the departure checklist. Married! 

The next morning Kaylea and Thorin arrived a few minutes before the scheduled departure. Bauer was already seated at the console, going over the final checks and waiting for permission to take off. Kaylea took the seat next to him, pulling up the daily reports on her screen and scanning through them. Thorin took the seat behind her and he had barely sat down before he felt something poke him in the side. He turned to see Ajax sitting there, regarding him expectantly with his yellow eyes. Thorin shook his head, smiling at the dire wolf. He reached into his coat pocket and took out the bone from his steak he had wrapped up the night before.   
“Nice to see you again, Master Wolf,” he said, holding out the bone. Ajax took it gingerly and trotted off down the corridor. Thorin looked around the bridge. This was his first time traveling on a private ship, he was rather looking forward to it. No waiting for the shower, food whenever he wanted it, a window with a view. A few moments later they were through the planet’s shield and on their way to Dorsai.  
Kaylea closed the report window and began entering a series of commands into the console. She looked back at Thorin, her finger paused over the transmit key. “Remember that the only way you get home is through Lord Blackwolf. He holds all the keys.”   
“Can I not stay here with you?” Thorin asked. Kaylea turned in her chair to face him, looking at him curiously.   
“Of course you can, if that is what you wish. But are you not anxious to get home? You did disappear suddenly. Hopefully the Lonely Mountain is not at war with the Woodland Realm.”   
Thorin chuckled. “Remember, events do not move as quickly on Middle Earth as they do here. Thranduil probably told Thror I left his realm and now my people are searching for me.” He looked at her seriously. “For many years you have been promising me a life together, why cannot it start now?”   
Kaylea was silent for a moment. “It can, but as I have told you, if you are to be at my side there is training you will need to do that may take some years. Would it not be better to return to Erebor and set your affairs in order?”   
Thorin sighed deeply. “Yes, I suppose so. And I would like to have some of my things. But first, I want to see Dorsai.”   
“Of course, my king. Let us hope Blackwolf allows me to keep the open codes.” She turned back to the console and was about to hit the button when Bauer said “Jacket!”  
He tossed his to her. Thorin watched Kaylea pull it on and close the collar, he could see the bite marks from last night were just visible at the neck of her light shirt, probably not the proper image to show the Empire’s most powerful lord. She shook her head, pulling her hair back into a ponytail.   
“Thanks,” she said, straightening up and preparing herself. Kaylea glanced over her shoulder at Thorin. “Now, try to keep it civil.”   
Thorin nodded, wondering about the warning. Kaylea hit the transmit key and the screen came alive with an image of an empty chair. There was a wall some distance behind covered with viewscreens, shelves holding actual books and a variety of glass containers and vials.   
“This had better be important,” came a deep, resonant voice from off the screen. Presently a tall, regal looking Elf appeared, taking a seat in the chair. He was wearing a dark blue duty uniform, his long black hair tied back, his expression was irritated. Thorin recognized him immediately, though no pictures of him existed in the Empire the memory of the sons of Durin was long. The Elf looked up at Kaylea and then his gaze fell on Thorin. His eyes narrowed. “What is that doing here?”   
Thorin was already on his feet staring at Blackwolf, his face a mask of dark fury. “You! You are the one who holds Middle Earth hostage? You who stole from us, who came to us with promises and we gave freely our ancient knowledge only to be repaid with betrayal…” Thorin suddenly switched to Ancient Khuzdul, which Kaylea could not completely follow, but it was anything but civil. The venom in his voice was unmistakable. Something about the mother of the beardless and trolls and a rather impossible sounding sex act. Blackwolf listened with an almost amused smile on his face, his eyes narrowing. He answered Thorin in the same language, again Kaylea did not understand all the words but it was something about Thorin’s mother, his voice low and dangerous. When he paused Thorin started to go off again, louder and angrier.   
“Thorin!” Kaylea smacked the console with her palm. He turned quickly, scowling darkly at her, then pivoted on his heel and disappeared down the corridor.  
“Bit of history there?” Bauer asked, making a pained face.   
Kaylea took a deep breath, she turned back to the screen hoping Blackwolf was not going to make her pay for Thorin’s outburst. What she saw astonished her. The Elf lord was sitting back convulsed with laughter. In all the centuries she had known him she had never seen him out right laugh before, now he was laughing so hard he seemed in danger of falling out of his chair.   
After a moment her lord sat forward composing himself, his fingers played over the console in front of him. “I had completely forgotten how much I hate dealing with Dwarves,” he said. “You had better put that thing back where it belongs.” He looked up at Kaylea. “How did it get here?”   
“Thranduil of the Woodland Realm sent him. Surprised me, since you told me only the Noldor could travel the starways. He has been here several years,” Kaylea replied, keeping her eyes on the console in front of her. She could feel Blackwolf studying her, too late she realized her braids that matched Thorin’s were still loose from the rest of her hair.   
“Now I understand why you have been wearing your hair differently these past years,” Blackwolf’s voice was smooth and even. “You are going to Dorsai?”   
“Yes, my lord. I will need my gear.”   
Blackwolf nodded. “I will open your codes and send you a message for Thranduil. We need to make sure this doesn’t happen again.” The screen went black. Kaylea took a deep breath, then got up and went down the corridor. Thorin was standing there, arms folded across his chest, shaking his head.   
“You should have told me,” he said, obviously annoyed.   
“And that would have made this go smoother how exactly?”   
Thorin drew himself up. “You should have told me because you are my wife and we are supposed to trust each other.”   
“I trust you with my life, husband. You know that.” Kaylea replied gravely. “But I also know you well enough to guess this was how you were going to react. The life we are to lead together goes through him, whether you like it or not.”   
Thorin shook his head, fixing her with a cold stare. Kaylea felt the subtle shift as Thorin put aside the homeless wanderer and became once again the King Under the Mountain. “That is irrelevant,” he said carefully. “The point is you withheld information from me. For years you have called me your King, but always your true loyalty has been to this lord of yours. He had been between us since the beginning and I will tolerate it no longer. The trust between us is now broken.”  
Kaylea stared at him. At first she thought he was only teasing, but she could see now he was deadly serious. And he was also right. She and Thorin had become so close and spent so much time working as equals she had lost sight of the fact Thorin was her King and should be treated as such. A man could serve both a lord and a king, but the King came before all, even one’s own life. Now he had accused her of conspiring against him with Blackwolf, a crime that in his world could be punished with death or banishment, or worse. Without hesitation she kneeled before him on both knees, placing her hands on the floor she brought her forehead down to rest on them.   
“My king,” she began, trying to keep her voice even. “I have no excuse, you are right, it is only because of my long loyalty to my lord that I heedlessly put him before you. Please allow me to continue to serve you, after all that has passed between us I ask you for the opportunity to redeem myself,” she hesitated, not sure if she could get the words out. “Do not send me away, please do not banish me from your presence.”   
Thorin bent down and put his hand under her chin, raising her head to look in her eyes.   
“You know I could never do that,” he said softly, he put his hands under her arms and raised her to her feet. He gently wiped her tears away. “You are my Queen. I will love you as long as I have breath in my body. I will not send you from my side, or banish you from my bed.” He looked at her gravely. “But you must now find a way to restore the trust between us.”   
Kaylea bowed her head, she would have kneeled again but Thorin tightened his grip on her arms. “Thank you, your majesty.” She took a deep breath. “What punishment then do you decree?”   
“I only ask that you consider your loyalty. I will not have this Elf between us any longer,” Thorin said. He put his hands over hers, squeezing them gently. “Now, enough of that for the moment.”  
He turned and walked off down the corridor. Kaylea watched him go then returned to the bridge with a heavy heart. Bauer could see she was upset, but did not ask. Once she had sent messages making sure all was ready for them on Dorsai, Kaylea went to her quarters. Thorin was laying on the bed, his back to the door. She took a seat at her desk and activated the screen so she could get some work done. After a time she heard Thorin roll over, she could feel him watching her. For the first time since they had been together, she was not sure what was going to come next. She half-turned in her chair, looking over her shoulder at him.  
Thorin smiled softly. “You should have told me,” he patted the bed next to him. “Now, come here.”   
Kaylea moved over to the bed and lay down with her husband. Thorin pulled her against him, he kissed her neck, opening her jacket he began to work his way down. The sting of Thorin’s rebuke was still raw, she tried to put it aside and ride the sensation. The feel of his lips on her skin awakened her body, as they always did.   
So this is how it is going to be, Kaylea thought to herself. Thorin was going to test her in every way. He wanted to go on as if things had not changed between them. The crime he had accused her of carried a heavy penalty on Dorsai, she would have to make that known, hopefully before they had to deal with Blackwolf again. And that would probably be sooner than she would like.   
“Do not be surprised if Blackwolf shows up while we are on Dorsai,” she said. There were so many things she wanted to say, Thorin was making it hard to concentrate.   
Thorin paused. “You think he will?”   
“I am almost certain of it,” Kaylea sighed, running her fingers through his hair. “I know it is not my place to ask, but do you think you can be civil?”   
“Of course not.” 

 

2\. DORSAI

Thorin walked onto the bridge as the ship was passing through Dorsai’s shield. Bauer motioned to the empty seat beside him at the console. “You will want to sit up front,” he said.   
Thorin was not about to refuse. He kept his hands off the controls, though he recognized most of them. During his time on Corvus he had befriended a transport pilot who had shown him the basics, but he had never flown a scout warship. Thorin was so curious to finally see his wife’s home, Kaylea had never talked much about it but he had learned quite a bit during his years wandering the Empire. He knew it was a planet of wide oceans and three large landmasses, sister planet to Lord Blackwolf’s Troyius, circling a distant sun that tilted to the blue spectrum. Its people were organized into nine clans each with a vote on the ruling council, and the Grahams were one of the largest and richest families. Dorsai was one of the Seven Colonies, the last remnants of the First Empire. The Seven had banded together after the breakup, each of the worlds developing its own specialty - the Dorsai were the warriors, the Covenant were the engineers, Sparta were the bankers, and so on. These seven were the foundation of the Second Empire, which now consisted of almost a thousand planets. The warrior Dorsai also made up most of the Sardaukar that Kaylea commanded, the Emperor’s much-feared strike force that was spoken of only in whispers.   
Once through the shield the ship angled down to the surface, punching through several layers of thick clouds and leveling out a couple hundred meters above the ocean waves. Thorin saw a coastline of snow-capped peaks and deep fjords looming ahead. The clouds broke up near the coast and the mountains stood out in sharp relief in the sun.   
Kaylea came onto the bridge and took a seat behind him. “Taking the scenic route today, I see” she said, smiling at Thorin.   
Bauer steered into a wide fjord, waterfalls and huge masses of granite passed on either side. Just as the passage made a turn Thorin saw a large castle set back on a wide finger of rock above them. He recognized it from the holos he had seen in the ship, Tor Graham. Around the bend the fjord opened up into a wide glacial valley, the city of Graham laid out before them, with its glittering spaceport and tree lined streets of graceful stone buildings.   
A few moments later Thorin and Kaylea walked off the ship to the transport that was waiting for them, Bauer and Ajax following behind. A young woman in a black uniform with impressively red short hair got out to meet them, throwing the doors open.  
“Afternoon, general,” she said as they approached. She looked Thorin up and down, then smiled brightly at him. “I don’t believe we have met. I’m Sonya Graham and I really hope you are single.”   
“I am Thorin Oakenshield,” Thorin said with a grin. “And I’m sorry to disappoint you but I am happily married.”   
Sonya laughed. “That’s too bad! Let me know if you ever get unmarried.” She glanced at Kaylea, who was regarding her coldly. Her smile quickly vanished. “Welcome to House Graham, Thorin Oakenshield. Hop in.”   
The girl watched them climb into the transport, eyeing Thorin again. It was a warm day and Kaylea opened the roof panel, Ajax climbed halfway out to sniff the breeze. Thorin settled into his seat holding his wife’s hand and watched the city roll by him. When he had first learned that Kaylea came from the stars he had always imagined other planets would be strange places full of unrecognizable marvels, and some of them were. But Dorsai felt familiar, he could almost be in one of the cities of Men on Middle Earth. Stone buildings with graceful architecture, neatly kept gardens and green parks.  
Soon they left the city behind, climbing into the mountains between green slopes and groves of tall trees to a huge gate, its entrance guarded by stone wolves. They had been scanned on the way and the gate swung back as they approached, the road continued upwards, past scattered buildings and pastures and into a long stretch of dark woods. Past the trees was a wide open space of green grass and scattered boulders, sitting back against the sheer rock was Tor Graham. The large keep was finely built of grey stone with a high outer wall surrounded on two sides by a wide, fast flowing stream that rushed down the mountain behind to drop off into the fjord below. Sonya drove them over the bridge and into the wide stone courtyard beyond the thick walls, big enough to muster a division.  
Thorin looked up at the Tor curiously as they walked through the tall metal doors, he could see it extended back into the rock behind. There was a kind of timelessness about it, as if it was both old and new. Arched, many-paned windows, crenelated roof, towers at the corners guarded by gargoyles. They paused in the circular entry hall, Bauer said something about a situation room and disappeared down a corridor. Thorin took a moment to look around, there was a domed glass ceiling high overhead adorned with the Graham family crest, two wolves supporting a trifurcated shield bearing the Imperial lion, the nine stars of Dorsai and crossed swords. The floor of the entry was inlaid with a compass design in colored stone. On one side was a series of banners, each bearing the family crest and on the other a wide staircase leading to the gallery. As Thorin’s gaze fell on the stairs he had to stop himself from gasping. There were three tall women coming down the stairs, the first woman Thorin recognized immediately, he had glimpsed her once on his visit to Rivendell so many years ago. Arwen Undomiel, Evenstar, daughter of Elrond and considered the fairest woman in Elvendom. The women with her were also Elves, no doubt her ladies that had come with her to Dorsai. As he watched her approach, regal and graceful in a pale blue dress, he tried to remember what he had heard about her. There was some minor scandal after the defeat of Sauron, she was supposed to marry King Aragorn but he had married that woman from Rohan instead. Thorin had never much concerned himself with the affairs of Gondor, now he wished he had paid a bit more attention. The lady stood in front of him and bowed her head in welcome.   
“Thorin, son of Thrain, King Under the Mountain, welcome to Tor Graham,” she said, in the Common tongue of Middle Earth. “This is a great honor.”   
Thorin nodded in response. “Thank you, my lady. The honor is mine. Long have I wished to look on this place and meet those that dwell here.” He looked up at her curiously. “Though I certainly did not expect to meet the daughter of Elrond.”   
Arwen smiled. She looked from him to Kaylea and back. “It seems I am not the only one from Middle Earth to fall in love with a Dorsai.”   
“Indeed, you are not,” Thorin smiled into his beard. He was not particularly fond of Elves, but he could not dislike this gracious and beautiful lady.   
Arwen gestured toward the doorway leading to the hall behind her. “Please make yourself at home, your majesty. I will see you later after you are settled.” She turned away, her ladies following, leaving them alone. Thorin watched her go thoughtfully.   
“Your brother Kensie must be the envy of every man on Dorsai,” he said, switching back to Khuzdul.   
Kaylea chuckled. “She is married to Ian.”   
Thorin was stunned. Ian? Grim, dour Ian? How did that happen? Kensie and Ian Graham were Kaylea’s adopted brothers, fellow products of Lord Blackwolf’s genetic engineering program. They were twins and almost polar opposites. Both were tall and handsome as Elvish lords, but while Kensie was always smiling and had an easy manner that charmed everyone around him, Ian was silent and serious. A huge man and a legendary fighter among the Dorsai, Thorin had fought beside him in Moria. How had a man like that won the heart of Elrond’s daughter? He turned back to his wife, who was watching him expectantly. He was finding the tension between them hard to bear. He had spent these last years thinking about her, desperately wanting to see her face, and though this matter of Blackwolf had long been between them, it did not change the way he felt about her. He still loved her with all his heart, and he knew she would regain his trust.   
“I know I spoke harshly yesterday…,” he began, but Kaylea held up her hands and shook her head.   
“You were right,” she said. “You are my King, and my husband – two reasons that I should put no others before you.” She gave him a weak smile. “I know my relationship with Blackwolf has been like a thorn in your mind almost since we met. It is my fault for not finding a way to serve him without dishonoring you.”   
“I am glad to know you understand,” Thorin said. “But I do not want this to ruin our visit here. You are still my wife and I have so been looking forward to this.”   
“I am finding it hard to put the conversation aside, but I will do my best to make your stay here a memorable one.” She gestured toward the door into the hall. “Would you like a tour?”   
Thorin smiled widely, he offered her his arm. “I thought you would never ask, my love,” he said.   
She took him through to the Great Hall, its walls decorated with shields and swords, and a variety of stuffed animal heads, which Thorin thought were a very odd choice of decoration. Kaylea showed him through the many grand halls and rooms of the keep. Past these they went through a long hall where the aura of the place changed from family estate to working stronghold. Thorin could see the place was built to house a large number of people. There were mess halls, training rooms, a medbay. Kaylea explained that centuries ago, in the days when the clans of the Dorsai were all at war with each other, it was not uncommon for the keeps to house an entire clan. Now around a hundred lived and worked at the Tor full-time, but on holidays or special occasions the place would be full to bursting. When they passed anyone in the halls they instantly came to attention and nodded as Kaylea passed, Thorin got many curious looks, particularly from the women.   
After the fourth woman they passed looked him up and down appraisingly Thorin turned to his wife. “These women all look at me like they have never seen a man before.”   
Kaylea laughed. She stopped and put an arm around him, brushing his hair back. “It’s your astonishing good looks, husband,” she said, laughter in her voice. “That and your beautiful hair. You see any long hair or beards here?”   
Thorin frowned. He had not, all the Dorsai men were clean shaven and wore their hair very short. In fact, Kaylea was one of the few women who wore her hair long, most were as short-haired as the men. They continued walking and Kaylea stopped at a steel door, holding her wrist to the scanner beside it. The door slid aside to reveal a large room filled with viewscreens and consoles, a number of people working at the stations. It made Thorin realize he had not seen any of this technology in the rest of the keep, it must have been purposely hidden to maintain the historical feel of the place.   
“This is the situation room,” Kaylea explained. “Here we can monitor our contracts and everything going on in the Empire.”   
Thorin looked around curiously as she led the way across the room. He knew this was how the Dorsai made their money, selling their services as soldiers, but he had not really thought about what it would take to run such a business. It made him remember how complicated it was to keep an army in the field, and the Grahams were no doubt managing a number of them at once. And monitoring the movements of the Sardaukar as well. Looking over the room Thorin saw a large 3D map display, Ian Graham was standing beside it with Bauer, a younger man who looked very like him and a green-eyed woman in a black uniform. They all looked up as Kaylea approached. A flicker of something that might have been a smile crossed Ian’s face.   
“Thorin Oakenshield, this is an unexpected surprise!” He bowed low. “Welcome to the Tor! This is Catherine Graham, my brother’s wife, and my son Donal.”   
Catherine came around the table to greet him, she looked as if she was about to put out her hand but at some sign from Ian she paused and bowed low instead. “Welcome to Dorsai, my lord! I hope it is not an imposition, but I have planned a welcome dinner tonight. The general so rarely brings anyone here, everyone wants to meet you.”   
“Thank you, my lady. I will be honored,” Thorin said, nodding politely. Kensie’s wife seemed to have the same easy manner as her husband, Thorin liked her at once, and it explained where Sonya got her red hair. “Is your husband here as well?”   
“No, he is on Belka with the Sardaukar,” Catherine replied. “He and Ian take turns running things here.”   
Kaylea was looking closely at the map in front of them. “What is this?” She asked.   
“We are working on a new contract,” Catherine said, having a hard time taking her eyes off Thorin. “I’ve been running the numbers, we will be going in with the MacLeods but I think it will be very lucrative.”   
Kaylea nodded. “I see how it could be,” she moved over to look at the display on Ian’s tablet. Thorin saw Ian look at her curiously, perhaps sensing something was amiss with his sister. After a moment Kaylea turned back at Catherine. “We will be staying for a few days. If you don’t need me for anything, we’ll be upstairs.”   
Catherine nodded. “Formal dinner at 7, don’t forget to change. The rooms at the end of the second hall are empty, you can give Oakenshield one of those.”   
“I don’t believe we need two rooms,” Thorin said, looking sideways at his wife.   
Catherine looked from Thorin to Kaylea and back with a look of amused disbelief. “Tor Graham is a traditional house,” she said, after a moment. “As General Wolf should have explained to you, it is a bit old fashioned but all single people must have their own rooms.”   
Kaylea took Thorin’s hand. “I did not explain it to him because he is right. We do not need two rooms, we are married.”   
Catherine stared at her in shocked disbelief. “Married! How did this happen? How could you be married and not invite your family? We have not even met him!” Donal looked equally surprised, nearly dropping his tablet.   
Kaylea took a deep breath, Thorin had to admit he was enjoying the moment, she had been the one so insistent on keeping it quiet. “We have known each other a long time. We got married on Middle Earth ten years ago. I had to keep it to myself until I could get the shield codes from Blackwolf, but he has seen us together now so it is out in the open.”   
Catherine had already gone beyond shocked to angry. “This is unacceptable, you cannot be married without your family! You must have a proper wedding here at the Tor!”   
“That is exactly the plan,” Kaylea said. “Thorin was sent here by an old adversary of his and I must get him home so his family knows he is safe, but when we return we will have a proper wedding.” She smiled at Thorin. “I still have the dress.”   
Catherine was looking at Ian studying his tablet, his face expressionless. She pushed him in the shoulder. “How long have you known?”   
Ian shrugged. “Since that year we spent on Middle Earth.”   
She looked at Bauer. “And you?”   
“Found out yesterday,” he replied. Catherine then turned her attention to Ajax, who was standing at Kaylea’s side.   
“At least you could have told me!” She said to the wolf, who gave her his best innocent look and wagged his tail. 

Kaylea led Thorin up to the family rooms on the second floor. Hers was along the side of the keep that faced the fjord and had a spectacular view, with a balcony to enjoy it. Like the rest of the keep it had all the conveniences but everything was cleverly concealed. Lighting panels, replicators, viewscreens and consoles hid behind sliding panels in the wood-trimmed walls, making the high technology invisible. Kaylea went into the kitchen while Thorin looked around. He had been in the cabin on her ship but here he found things from her life that were much more personal. Pictures of herself in uniform with her brothers, paintings of horses. He found a picture of himself beside her bed and on the dresser was the chest from Erebor that held her jewelry. He was just frowning at Ajax making himself comfortable on the couch when Kaylea came over holding two beers. She handed one to him with a smile.  
“So now you have seen where I live,” she said. “Although I do not spend as much time here as I wish.”   
“At long last,” Thorin replied. “I almost feel as if I was back on Middle Earth, in one of the cities of Men. Tor Graham reminds me of the tower in Minas Tirith”   
Kaylea looked up at the ceiling. “It is not nearly that grand! It is a kind of a dusty old place,” she said. “But we prefer it that way.”   
“I like it very much,” Thorin moved over and put an arm around her waist, guiding her out to the sunny balcony. It was early spring and the air was cool, but it was pleasant in the sun. “I feel very at home. Though if I was to live here I think I would have to cut my hair.”   
“Don’t you dare!” Kaylea laughed. “You are a novelty, once they get to know you they will stop staring.”   
Thorin was not so sure, but she might be right. They sat together on the soft couch admiring the view in silence for a few minutes. Then Thorin said, “Now, you must tell me how Elrond’s daughter came to be here.”   
Kaylea looked out at the mountains for a moment before answering. “For her and Ian it was a bit like it was for you and me, once they laid eyes on each other they would have no other,” Kaylea said, he could hear the wistfulness in her voice. “From what Aragorn told me the affection between the two of them had waned, and of course it made much more sense for him to marry the daughter of a close ally rather than a woman whose people were leaving Middle Earth.”   
“The responsibilities of kings,” Thorin nodded, he was well aware of those. He had been reminded of them again very recently. He sipped at his beer, looking sideways at his wife. When they were apart he always remembered how beautiful she was, but seeing her beside him, even after all these years she still took his breath away. Her finely sculpted features, icy-blue eyes and golden hair, like a goddess stepped down to earth. He could see she was still upset, though she was covering it well. He wanted to say something to soften the blow but every time he thought about it his anger returned. He had meant what he said, he only regretted he had not said it sooner, and at a time when he had not been so angry.   
“It is strange to come so far and still be surrounded by Elves,” he said. “I certainly did not expect that.”  
“Yes, it is far past time that Dwarves had a chance to travel the starways,” Kaylea smiled. “But I am happy for Ian, he will not have to marry again.”   
Thorin blinked at her, regarding her solemnly. He had not thought about it in those terms before but Kaylea and her brothers were immortal, they were already thousands of years old and knew they would outlive their partners. It must take a particular kind of courage to allow yourself to love someone when you knew you would one day watch them die. He knew he would live many more years, but one day he would be old and grey and stiff in the joints and Kaylea would be just as young and beautiful as she was now. It made him see his wife in a different light, she was stronger than he had ever imagined. “Perhaps you also should have found yourself an Elf,” he said, more lightly then he felt.   
Kaylea laughed, turning to face him. “No, thank you! I prefer my Dwarf.” She leaned forward to rest her forehead against his. “I will have no other.” She kissed him softly then drew back, her hand on his beard. “Just because a thing is not destined to last forever does not make it any less glorious.”   
Thorin pulled her mouth to his and kissed her deeply, wondering if it was possible to love anyone more than he loved this amazing woman.

They headed down the stairs to the great hall a few hours later. Thorin had made good use of the high-end replicator in Kaylea’s quarters and was wearing a dark blue outfit in Dwarvish style, high collared embroidered silk shirt and long vest trimmed with whale fur that looked very elegant over his black trousers and soft boots. He only had two rings left, his wedding ring and his signet ring, many of the jewels on his belt were gone but he still had a spectacular pin he wore on his vest. Kaylea had chosen a dark red dress in the classic Dorsai style, left shoulder and arm covered, the other arm bare, the hem cut at an angle across her knees. The edges of her dress were decorated with a strip of interlacing Dorsai designs in pale gold. She wore her hair down with a few mithril beads to match the ones on her braids and, for the first time in Tor Graham, her wedding rings. Thorin made sure she was also wearing one of the necklaces he had made for her, certain her family had never seen it.   
As they came down the stairs Catherine was crossing the hall in a long silk dress the exact green of her eyes. She saw Thorin and Kaylea on the stairs and stopped, reaching for her handheld. She waved them to stop, holding it up to take some pictures.   
“You two have to be the most spectacular couple ever,” she said, then smiled at Thorin. “The famous Sardaukar general attending a party in something other than her dress uniform. You are a welcome influence, Thorin Oakenshield!”  
Thorin smiled at his wife. Kaylea shook her head, turning to face him as Catherine took a few more pictures. She met them at the bottom of the stairs, holding her hand out. “Now, let’s see that ring. Odin’s beard, that necklace is beyond amazing! Is that new?”   
Thorin laughed. He had given Kaylea that engagement ring almost a hundred years ago. The necklace he had made for her not long after. Sonya and another young woman with long black hair came down the stairs, Thorin later learned this was Donal’s sister Mara. Both stopped to admire Kaylea’s jewelry with Catherine. Like any Dwarf, Thorin loved to talk about his work and he had seen little of any quality since he had been in the Empire. He had done very well making jewelry these last few years, it had bought him a couple transport tickets.   
“You made these? I have never seen any jewelry so fine, not even Lady Arwen’s,” Sonya said to him, clearly in awe.   
Thorin bowed slightly to her. “Thank you, my lady. That is high praise indeed!” 

There were about twenty people in the hall, Thorin saw a number of surprised looks as they walked in arm in arm. There was actual wood burning in the fireplace, Arwen and Ian standing beside it, Ian in his dress uniform and Arwen in a flowing silver dress, a circlet of silver on her brow. Donal brought them drinks and Kaylea took Thorin around, introducing him. Many were members of her family, sons and daughters of Ian and Kensie and their spouses, and a few guests from other clans, including the Lady McLeod and her son. As they circulated around the room Thorin found himself very amused at the shock and surprise expressed by everyone at their marriage. He also got more than a few hungry looks from the women, though they quickly looked away when they felt Kaylea’s eyes on them. Thorin was just thinking any men here who were having trouble finding a partner should just grow their hair out when a uniformed Dorsai stepped into the room and announced loudly.   
“Lord Blackwolf of Troyius.” 

 

3\. THE NEGOTIATION

Lord Blackwolf strode into the hall. Everyone froze for a moment in shock, Blackwolf never left his home planet, let alone turn up at dinner parties. Tall and graceful, his fine features looked carved from marble, long black hair in an elaborate clasp. He wore a closely tailored suit of midnight blue the jacket reaching almost to his knees, a jeweled pin in his cravat. As he moved into the room there was a sense of great power coming with him, like an invisible cloak. All in the room immediately knelt on one knee, bowing their heads, except Thorin who crossed his arms over his chest and glowered at the Elf.   
Lord Blackwolf ignored everyone and strode straight to Thorin and Kaylea.   
“A word with you two in private,” he said without pausing, walking to the hallway in the corner that led to Ian’s office. He went through not even bothering to see if they were following.   
Kaylea looked at Thorin. “After you, my king.” She leaned close as he walked past her. “I do not suppose you can leave the talking to me?”   
“Not a chance,” Thorin replied, his face dark.   
The two of them followed Blackwolf and closed the door. He was standing leaning against the polished desk, obviously waiting for them to take the two chairs in front of him. When they were seated Blackwolf crossed his arms and looked from one to the other, his gaze was piercing. Thorin had crossed paths with great Elven lords before, but this one was completely different, his aura of power filled the room.   
“Out with it,” his voice was rich and smooth. Thorin almost answered without thinking, but quickly bit his tongue. How had he done that?  
Kaylea frowned, playing innocent. “Excuse me, my lord?”   
Blackwolf sighed. “You love him, he loves you. It is all over you both. What I want to know is how a Dwarf who is nearly 300 looks like a Dwarf of 60.”  
“That is on me, my lord,” Kaylea said quickly. “The King was mortally wounded in the battle for Erebor. I made the call to use a surgery unit to save him and I neglected to reset the protocols. He received a shot of boosterspice.”   
Blackwolf looked at Thorin, his eyes narrowed. “This is from one shot of boosterspice? He was almost two hundred when that battle took place, now he is younger and also taller.”   
“Speaking of that, why do you have grey hairs, my lord?” Thorin asked, his voice all innocent curiosity. “Did Morgoth give you those?”   
Blackwolf glared at him, he went very still which meant Thorin’s jibe had landed. “And what of the heir to the illustrious line of Durin?” He asked. “What do his people say of him now he is now tall enough to be a Man? And taken up with a Human woman?” As Blackwolf talked the air around him seemed to shift. His grey hair vanished, the wisdom of centuries shown through his eyes, a silver light seemed to emanate from his body. Then suddenly he was aged again, as if he had drawn a veil over himself.   
“My people love Kaylea Wolf as they love me,” Thorin replied, unimpressed. “The allegiance of Dwarves is not as fickle as that of the Fair Folk.”   
Kaylea wished she could impress on her husband it was not a good idea to provoke Blackwolf, but she did find it interesting he had produced two shows of emotion in two days. It was more than she had seen in the last several hundred years. The Elf lord did not respond this time, he looked from one to the other of them, drumming the fingers of one hand on his elbow. Thorin could see he was wearing a plain gold ring on the middle finger of his right hand, to his eye it did not look like ordinary gold. A ring of power?   
“I gave you open codes to Middle Earth because I assumed you wished to spend more time there, not fall in love with a Dwarf,” he said at last.   
Thorin snorted. “She fell in love with a Dwarf a long time ago. And why would you prevent her from spending her life with the man she loves? If you like, I can give you a lesson in how to treat your loyal retainers.”   
Blackwolf closed his eyes, still ignoring Thorin. “Our agreement is now void. We can reopen negotiations when you return.”   
“We had a deal,” Kaylea protested, she maneuvered for an opening. “I still have my markers.”   
“Not good enough,” Blackwolf said flatly.   
She looked up at him with the slightest of smiles. “I do have an artifact in my possession. A palantir.”   
Thorin saw Blackwolf’s eyes narrow very slightly. Kaylea definitely had his attention. He steepled his hands together, touching his fingertips to his lips. “And if I allow you to reuse those codes, you will be bringing him with you. You need a full series for him as well.”   
“Yes, my lord,” Kaylea said. Before she could go on, Thorin spoke.   
“I intend to spend the rest of my life with my wife, if that is not too much to ask.”   
Blackwolf’s eyes shot to Thorin, he lifted an eyebrow. “What did you say?”   
Kaylea looked down at her hands, waiting for the explosion. She could not believe her lord did not already know, he had to be toying with Thorin.   
Thorin smiled, he hoped it was a surprise. “We have been married for almost ten years. It appears you are not as well-informed as I have been led to believe.”  
Blackwolf sighed, closing his eyes. “So, it is true, my greatest creation married to a Dwarf,” he reached into his coat and took out a folded parchment with an elaborate seal and a memory stick. He handed them to Kaylea. “Deliver this note to Thranduil,” he said.   
“These are the open codes?”   
Blackwolf nodded. “For now.” He leaned forward and reached for Thorin who drew back but not before Blackwolf had laid a hand on his arm, he felt a sting through his shirt. He scowled at the Elf, pulling his arm away. Blackwolf took a flat metal case from his pocket and let two drops of blood drip into it off his finger. He closed it and looked at the screen expressionlessly, reaching into his pocket for a cloth. “I will build the series for him,” he said to Kaylea, wiping his fingers. “And I want that palantir before you leave.”   
“It is still on Middle Earth,” Kaylea said. She was about to go on when the door opened and the Lady Arwen stepped in.   
“Excuse me, my lord,” she said, curtsying and bowing her head. “If you are through conducting business during my party, it is time for my guests to go in to dinner.”   
Thorin expected Blackwolf to reprimand her for interrupting but instead he straightened up and bowed slightly. “I apologize, my lady. Our business is finished.” He moved toward the door, then paused almost nose to nose with Kaylea as she stood up. “A full workup on him and the codes are yours. We will talk further when you get back,” he said quietly. He turned to go past Arwen out the door, but she laid a hand on his arm.   
“Will you not stay for dinner, my lord? You have never been a guest in this house since I have lived here, please do me the honor of dining with us.” She glanced at Thorin. “I know there is much history between you and his people, but perhaps for one evening you can both put it aside? We are celebrating the King’s unexpected visit and also his marriage to the woman you consider a daughter, will you not stay and drink a toast to their happiness?”   
Blackwolf looked as though he was about to refuse, then he seemed to reconsider and smiled slightly at her. “You are quite right, my lady. I should have made a point to visit you before this. I will be honored to join you for dinner.”   
He went out the door, Arwen right behind him. Thorin looked at Kaylea, her arms crossed and her face grim. “Well, this is going to be fun,” she said sarcastically.   
Thorin looked at her questioningly. “What is this series he is talking about?”   
“The series is everything you will need to function as a Sardaukar in the Empire. All the languages, customs, history, systems, technical knowledge, encoded to your own memory RNA. Plus muscle and nervous system enhancers at the DNA level.”   
Thorin blinked. Just basic enhancements so he could stand up on heavy-gravity planets had been colossally expensive, he could not imagine the cost of what Kaylea was talking about, and made by the Empire’s foremost genetic engineer.   
“He is just going to give me that?” Thorin asked, in awe despite himself.   
She smiled at her husband. “Of course not. It is a negotiation. But he did see something in your DNA that interested him.” She gestured toward the door. “Shall we?” 

Dinner was served in the smaller dining room, Ian sat at one end of the table, Arwen at the other. Arwen had given Thorin the seat of honor at the middle of the table but Blackwolf being there now complicated things. He resolved them by insisting he sit at Arwen’s right hand since he was not a planned guest. Kaylea was glad the Lady McLeod was there, it meant she could sit next to her husband.   
Thorin found it quite an enjoyable evening, though a bit formal for his taste. The food was excellent and the conversation wide-ranging. Best of all, he had his beautiful wife beside him. After the years of lonely wandering it felt so good to be able to lean over and kiss her neck, to smell her familiar scent. Everyone at the table could clearly see the love between them, they were practically glowing. There was a subtle air of tension in the room brought on by Blackwolf’s presence, which everyone endeavored to ignore. Throughout the meal Thorin knew he and Kaylea were being closely watched and made sure to be attentive to his wife, stroking her hair and whispering in her ear, enjoying it even more because he knew how much it annoyed the Elf lord. He and Blackwolf managed to avoid getting into another Khuzdul shouting match, though they exchanged a few barbs. Towards the end of the meal Ian proposed a toast to the happy couple, which turned the conversation to the upcoming wedding. Catherine already had a hundred questions and the Lady MacLeod jumped in as well. Kaylea shook her head, deflecting their inquiries. Until she and Thorin had resolved the issue of trust between them she preferred not to think about it.   
After dinner the party moved into the library. Blackwolf took his leave from the Lady Arwen then motioned for Thorin to follow him outside.   
“If I may have a word, your majesty,” he said. Thorin hesitated, then followed him out into the courtyard. The exterior lights were off but a nearly full moon was high in the sky, bathing the keep in soft light. Thorin could see the moonlight seemed to shine through Blackwolf’s disguise, for a moment Thorin could clearly see he who was considered one of the greatest old Elven lords.   
“I may had misjudged you,” Blackwolf said, turning towards him.   
“Is that an apology?”   
A ghost of a smile crossed Blackwolf’s face. “No.” The lord studied Thorin closely. “You know of course that I designed Kaylea Wolf,” he said after a moment. “I have seen her with her previous loves, including the one I made for her.” Blackwolf’s eyes narrowed at Thorin’s look of surprise. “She did not tell you about that.”   
“She did not,” Thorin said, trying to keep his voice flat.  
“Watching you tonight I can see the love you share has transformed you both. That kind of love is an exquisite and precious thing, only a very few will ever experience it in their lifetimes. I find I have no wish to come between you.” He paused for a moment, looking up at the stars before returning his gaze to Thorin. “Although our negotiations are not complete, the codes I gave Kaylea will remain open, for you to use at your discretion. I do however have a request. I would like to give my daughter away at her wedding on Dorsai, if there is one.”   
Thorin nodded. “I will consider it,” he said, staring back at the Elf. “And there will be one.”  
Blackwolf turned to leave, then paused to look at Thorin closely. “You have questions,” he said, putting his arms behind his back and looking at the Dwarf King expectantly.   
“No,” Thorin lied, shaking his head. “I was only thinking perhaps I should find a way to be civil to you since we are now in a way related.” He frowned at the Elf. “She never told me who you really were.”   
“This surprises you?”   
“Yes, it does.” Thorin looked up at Blackwolf. “For many years she has called me her King. I would not expect her to withhold such information from me.”   
The Elf’s eyes sparkled. “So, this is what has come between you!” He moved closer, fixing Thorin with a hard stare. “Know this. Kaylea Wolf is my instrument. I created her and she has served me faithfully for many years. If she wishes to command the Sardaukar she must continue to serve me. She will not easily forswear her loyalty.”   
“A person can serve both a lord and a King,” Thorin replied. “I think perhaps you do not know her as well as you think.” He smiled slightly at the Elf lord, crossing his arms over his chest. “You are right, I do have questions. But I have no wish to interfere with my wife’s negotiations.” He saw a flicker of emotion pass behind the Elf’s face, exactly the reason he had used those words. He intended to keep sticking a knife in that wound, and Blackwolf knew it.   
“I will answer three questions,” the Elf lord said, his eyes narrowing slightly.   
“Very well. Kaylea says you do nothing without a purpose, so there must be a reason Ian and Kensie Graham look like kings of Numenor and Kaylea looks like the Lady Galadriel. Did you design them and Kaylea specifically to bring Elves out of Middle Earth to join you in exile?”  
The Elf’s brow furrowed, just slightly. This was obviously not a question he had expected. “How does the King of Erebor know what Lady Galadriel looks like?”   
Thorin kept his face expressionless and his body still. He knew he was treading on dangerous ground here, he had no idea what Kaylea had told him about their journey to Mordor. “I thought I was asking the questions,” he replied.   
There was that ghost of a smile again. “I would say that was one of their purposes,” Blackwolf replied. “The twins were one of my earliest creations. They necessarily bore a great deal of my own DNA in their code, I intended for them to disperse that code over Dorsai. Kensie has done that with his many children. I also hoped they would one day bring an Elf lord here to enhance that code, which Ian has done. Kaylea was built for a different purpose altogether. I designed her to be a vision of perfection, among many other things.”  
Thorin nodded, that was much more of an answer than he had expected. “My reaction to boosterspice seemed to surprise you. Do you know how long I will live?”   
“I will need to study its effects on your cellular structure more closely. I will have a better idea after I encode the series for you,” Blackwolf took a deep breath. “Of course, the series will include cell builders to increase your muscle density, the increased cell generation will further retard your ageing process. If you are asking me to guess, I would say you will live at least a thousand more years.”   
Thorin was stunned. A thousand years? Lady Galadriel had told him she could not see the end of his life, he had always wondered what she meant. He saw Blackwolf looking at him expectantly, he seemed to be enjoying himself.   
Thorin crossed his arms and looked defiantly at the Elf lord. “It occurs to me you could have crushed Sauron like an ant, why did you let him nearly win the war”  
“Did I?” Blackwolf looked amused. “I seem to remember taking steps to make sure that did not happen.”   
“You did not do all you could. You certainly did not use all the weapons at your command,” Thorin replied. “I see now that Sauron was not the first to forge a ring of power.” Then a sudden realization dawned on him. “Was it to get revenge on your kin?”  
“That is four questions,” Blackwolf replied curtly. He bowed just slightly. “I must thank you, your majesty, this has been a most entertaining conversation.” He turned and walked away, he had gone about twenty feet when he disappeared in a sudden shower of many-colored lights.  
Thorin stood frowning after him, almost at once Kaylea was by his side.   
“What were you two talking about for so long?” She asked, her face full of concern.   
“All these years, I have questioned you about your allegiance to that Elf, why you served him, why he treats you the way he does. Now that I have met him, it explains everything.” Thorin smiled at his wife. “It appears I have made quite an impression on him, he wants to give you away at our Dorsai wedding. And the codes he gave you will remain open, so that is good news!”   
Kaylea nodded, her face suddenly grim. “It is, but I would have this issue of trust settled between us before we speak again of the wedding.”   
Thorin nodded. “I wish it was already settled, but it will take time, my love.” He reached up to brush a strand of hair away from her face. “Your lord thinks you will never put me before him.”   
Her eyes narrowing, Kaylea looked in the direction Blackwolf had gone. “He is in for a surprise.”   
Thorin smiled at her, he knew she would do it, she only needed to prove it to him. At long last, they had the full access to Middle Earth she had talked about for so long, they could start planning their life together. 

Early the next morning Kaylea woke him when she got up to let Ajax out. Thorin sat up in bed and found his attention drawn to their comm devices. Both were blinking for attention, Thorin picked his up to find he had more than 30 messages.   
“I seem to be suddenly popular,” he said to Kaylea as she came in. She slipped back into bed beside him and picked up her own.   
“I linked our devices,” she said, looking at her screen. “It appears the news of our marriage has already made it around the planet.”   
The astonishing news had spread like wildfire that Kaylea Wolf was married and her husband had not only been the cause of Lord Blackwolf leaving Troyius for the first time in centuries, he had also refused to kneel to the great lord. Thorin was now the most sought-after guest on Dorsai, he had invitations for dinner from all the clans. Looking at his device he noticed his messages screen now had a series of tabs, selecting one he found all the daily reports that Kaylea received. Another had all the intelligence briefings; his device had indeed been set to mirror hers. He looked at his wife curiously, this was obviously a way she could demonstrate her trust in him, and make him a part of her decisions.  
“Do you really read all these reports?”   
Kaylea laughed. “That is Bauer’s job,” she said. “You will see his summary on the Priority screen. I read that first, then I can refer to the others if I need to.”  
Thorin nodded, then went back to the first message screen. He put an arm around his wife, pulling her close.   
“So, how many of these do you want to do?” She asked him, looking at his device.  
Thorin smiled at her. “I do not want to accept any of them yet,” he said. “First I want to spend some time alone with you. I have spent the last six years living by my wits wondering if I would ever see you again, now that we are here I want to enjoy it for a bit before I have to stand around making small talk with strangers.”  
Kaylea laughed. “You will get no argument from me, I am no great fan of dinner parties!” She leaned over and nibbled his ear. “So, what shall we do instead?”   
“I am sure we can think of something,” he replied, he threw his device back onto the table and slid down into the bed, pulling his wife with him. 

 

4\. THE OATH

“Are we going to see the sights of Dorsai today, my love?” Thorin asked, pulling on his boots. Kaylea nodded. It had rained overnight but the clouds were moving off, the warm spring sunshine pouring in through the windows. They were getting a late start, it was already mid-morning.  
“Business first. But after, yes, of course.”   
Thorin gave her a curious glance. “What business?”   
Kaylea shook her head and did not answer. Silently she led him through the halls of the Tor to a round room in one of the Tor’s towers, the walls lined with large, ceremonial-looking swords and statues of the old gods. In the center was a round pillar of stone, a bit over a meter high, the sides polished but the top left rough. Standing next to it was a grizzled Dorsai soldier, a long scar on the side of his face, his uniform impeccable.   
“Oath-taking on Dorsai has always been a serious business,” Kaylea said. “This is Hyway Graham, the weapons-master. He is here as witness.”   
“What are you doing?” Thorin asked, wondering what she could be thinking. There was a short-bladed knife on the stone that was now between them.  
“I mean to swear that I will put no one before you, that I will once again earn your trust. I will now prove my loyalty to you,” she looked down at the stone. “To do that I must give you a token, on Dorsai that means a finger.”   
Thorin was horrified. “You are not going to cut off your finger!”   
Hyway turned to Kaylea. “Of what are you accused?”   
“Of putting my lord before my King and husband, of withholding information from my King.” Kaylea looked evenly at Thorin as she spoke. “I have betrayed his trust and I now must regain it.”   
The old soldier nodded gravely. “So, conspiracy against your King. A serious accusation.” He turned to Thorin. “Do you believe this trust can be regained, your majesty?”  
“Yes, of course, but it is not going to happen overnight. And a finger is not going to help.”   
“The finger represents the binding nature of the oath, what the swearer is willing to give up to fulfill the promise,” Hyway explained. He smiled at Thorin’s look of astonishment. “In past times, it could have meant her head. But anyway, it is not like the old days, when the oath is fulfilled you can graft on a new one.”   
“My wife is capable of winning back my trust without such a sacrifice.” Thorin blinked, feeling this was escalating in a direction he had not anticipated. He had spoken out of long-held anger, his rebuke intended only to make his wife consider her loyalties. However, as a warrior of the Dorsai, Kaylea had taken it as a challenge that had to be answered.   
“You have put a knife through my heart, husband. Though it was not undeserved, I must live with it until such time as you decide to pull it out.” Kaylea laid her hands on the stone between them, fingers spread wide. “I swear henceforth to put no others before you, I will serve you faithfully to the best of my ability, I will demonstrate to you that I am worthy of your trust in all things, as I once was.” She picked up the knife, Thorin jumped, reaching to stop her hand but almost before he could react she had cut off her braids. She put the knife down and extended her hand to him, bowing her head.  
“I offer these as proof of my loyalty,” she said. “When you deem my oath fulfilled you may give them back to me.”   
Thorin stared at the braids, her beautiful golden hair and the mithril beads she had worn for so many years. She said he had put a knife in her heart, now he knew exactly how that felt. This was worse than a finger. But he hardened his heart, he would not take back his words. This business with Blackwolf had rankled him from the beginning, finding out who he actually was had been the final straw. It was far past time for her to put him before that treacherous Elf. He picked up his wife’s braids and reverently put them inside his coat.   
“I accept your offering,” he said quietly, it took him a moment to meet her eyes.   
Hyway had been watching the King closely. He did not know the significance of the braids but he could see their importance to Thorin. He appeared to value them higher even than a finger, the general had chosen well. “The oath is made, the token is accepted,” he said. “I have seen it done.”   
“Thank you, my friend,” Kaylea said. Hyway came to attention, then bowed his head and left the room. Thorin remained standing by the stone, still feeling a bit stunned. He picked up the knife, turning it in his hand absently.  
“You did not have to do that,” he said.   
“Yes, I did,” Kaylea answered. She came around to stand beside him. She laid a hand on his shoulder, smiling. “So, shall I show you Dorsai?”   
Thorin looked up at her, he smiled wanly. “Yes, please. I could use some distraction right about now.” Impulsively he slid his arms around her and drew her close. “Please tell me this will not change things between us, my love. I could not bear that.”   
“Some things are changed, others are not,” Kaylea said quietly. “Now I must earn your trust and decide how I can serve both my King and my lord. But this does not change the way I feel about you. I love you with every fiber of my being, my only wish is to stay by your side until the stars grow cold.”   
Thorin leaned forward to rest his forehead on hers. “It will be hard to have you at my side without your braids.”   
Kaylea smiled softly. “I look forward to earning them back, my king.” 

After the oath ceremony they spent a very enjoyable day in the Graham lands, which encompassed many thousands of hectares. Thorin was constantly amazed how much the place looked like his homeland. Hundreds of kilometers of land empty of settlements, towering mountains, wide valleys populated with herds of horses and antlered deerlike animals. The populace was concentrated into old cities of stone and glass, and in smaller settlements along the sea coast. Thorin had spent much of the last few years on the planets of the frontier, far from the galactic center. Those planets were full of quickly built metal cities, huge spaceports, mines and factories, races from many planets, and everyone looking to make their fortune. Dorsai was completely different, it was a rich planet with long history and a unified people. Now they worked at perfecting themselves and protecting their interests.   
Thorin was happy to see that after the events of the morning the tension between him and Kaylea seemed to be gone. She seemed very relaxed, smiling and enjoying showing him the sights. It was as if, now that she had sworn her oath, she just wanted to get on with the task. Thorin was glad of it, the last thing he ever wanted was to lose the intimacy between them.   
The next morning there was a soft knock at the door. “Delivery,” Bauer’s voice.   
Kaylea waited until she got up to make coffee before she went to see what it was, Thorin saw her put a slim metal case on the table before coming back to bed.   
“What is that?” Thorin asked, nodding towards the case as she handed him a cup.   
“From Blackwolf,” she said.   
Thorin blinked in astonishment. That fast? He looked at the case hungrily, with it he would have all the knowledge of anyone who grew up in the Empire, and much more. He would know the secret history, the languages, how to operate the weapons and machines, and he would be able to function much better in the heavy gravity of Dorsai. Right now he could get by, but he still tired easily. Dorsai’s gravity was nearly twice that of Corvus.   
“How soon can I have those?”   
Kaylea smiled at him. “Does not really make sense to take them right before you go back to Middle Earth, you need to spend a few weeks in heavy gravity to acclimatize.”  
“Middle Earth is a six day trip, you can keep the gravity up on the ship,” Thorin replied. “And you did say we could stay here awhile.”   
Kaylea chuckled. “What’s the hurry, husband? It means a day in a medunit.”   
“I have been here for almost six years and while I have learned a great deal about your world, I always feel like I am missing half of everything,” Thorin said. “And in this gravity I always feel as though I have a troll sitting on my chest. I want to feel like myself again.”

Thirty-two hours later Thorin opened his eyes slowly. The medunit was dimly illuminated by the display next to his head. It was uncomfortably like being in a coffin. He had only once before been in one of these units, when he had purchased muscle enhancers for his jump to Corvus. This was completely different. The last time every muscle in his body had been sore, he had felt like his bones were screaming. This time he felt almost superhuman, like he could just tear the lid off and jump fifteen meters into the air.   
There were so many new things in his head now. He understood how the Man-Kzin Wars had set the stage for the breakup of the First Empire, he knew what a Vorlon looked like, he finally understood the politics of the Empire, the Great Houses and the role of the parliament, and he saw the part that Blackwolf had played. He knew how his genetic engineering had strengthened the Seven Colonies, how he had maneuvered them and the old aristocratic families to form the Second Empire, how his unrivaled information network and his de facto control of the Sardaukar now made him the Emperor in all but name. Thorin knew his vocal cords had been altered so he could speak Kzin, he could also speak Cardassian, and Minbari, and the Dorsai battle language, he could fly a scoutship and use all the Sardaukar weapons. There was now an implant in his neck that enabled him to tie into a communication grid and interface with tactical armor. Thorin had expected all this knowledge to disorient him, as it had when the Kzin telepath had inserted things in his head, but this was seamless. Since it had been encoded on copies of his own memory RNA, it was like he had learned these things years ago.   
A crack of light appeared above him, the lid opened to reveal Kaylea looking down at him, a smile on her face.   
“How do you feel?” She asked, offering him a hand. He took it and sat up, feeling light as a feather.   
“Amazing,” Thorin replied. He climbed out of the medunit and jumped to the floor, feeling more like himself than he had in years. Like himself, only better.   
Kaylea blinked at him in surprise. “You are taller!”   
Thorin looked at her, realizing she was right, he seemed to have gained a couple centimeters. “What did Blackwolf put in those injections?” He wondered.   
She shook her head, handing him his clothes. “Usually they do include boosterspice, but Blackwolf knows your sensitivity, I assumed he would leave it out.” She shrugged. “Or perhaps he thinks a very tall Dwarf is amusing.”   
Thorin frowned. “Are you being serious?”   
“Long ago I gave up trying to figure out Blackwolf’s reasons for what he does. He is always playing a very long game, but beyond that I could not tell you.”  
Blackwolf. Thorin drew up his new memories and found the Elf lord had put almost his entire life story in his head. Thanks, asshole. But there was also quite a bit in there about his wife, Thorin realized he finally understood the relationship between her and her lord. And there were many more things he knew about her now.   
Kaylea was looking at him curiously. “What is it, husband? You look light years away.”   
Thorin grinned. “It is going to take me awhile to get used to all this,” he replied, tapping his temple. He pulled his shirt over his head and stepped into his boots.   
“All these years you have been giving me spectacular gifts,” Kaylea said, handing him a heavy disc of polished metal. “Now I get to give you a few, though I did not make them myself.” She smiled at him. “I did pick the paint scheme.”   
Thorin took the disc and turned it over in his hands. Sardaukar battle armor. He had seen them use it in Moria and of all Kaylea’s weapons he coveted this the most. Now that he knew how it worked and all its capabilities, he could hardly wait to try it.   
“Go ahead, try it on.” Kaylea was watching him with an amused smile.   
Thorin held the disc to his back, feeling it immediately attach itself and conform to his body, it was surprisingly comfortable. He flexed his back carefully and felt it activate and start to flow out over his body. The armor acted almost as an extension of the wearer, very different from the Dwarven plate armor Thorin had worn for years, this armor incorporated a large range of weapons, was capable of flight and could be worn in space. As the helmet deployed and snapped shut over Thorin’s head he felt invincible. He quickly scrolled through the options on the display, then caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror. In the Sardaukar soldiers personalized their armor, no two were alike. Kaylea had chosen a blue and silver scheme, with Dwarvish designs on the helmet and in a strip down the side. The sigil of House Durin was on the back, and on his left shoulder was a stylized design based on Kaylea’s ring, a wolf turning to take the Arkenstone in its mouth, a raven doing the same from the other side, the stone sitting in the raven crown. Thorin tipped his head back to retract the helmet and grinned widely at his wife.   
“Have I told you lately how much I love you?”   
Kaylea laughed. “You can take that off, time to choose some weapons.” She handed him a large gear bag, divided into compartments. Thorin reluctantly retracted his armored suit and placed it into its holder then followed her through the door and down the hall to the weapons locker. 

The next days passed in a whirlwind of travel across Dorsai and evenings of good food and small talk. They visited each of the other clans and saw much of the planet. Thorin no longer felt as if the conversation left him behind, he knew the names of the heads of the clans and the history of each. He understood the affairs of the Empire, the intricate workings of the Great Houses, the newest developments on the frontiers, how the Sparta bankers controlled the flow of capital. And he very much enjoyed having the most beautiful woman in the room on his arm, seeing the reactions of the men who had long been admiring her from afar. Inbetween dinner parties, Thorin accompanied Kaylea as she went through her day. They would be leaving soon to spend time in Erebor and there were many things that needed her attention. She kept asking if he was bored, but he had always wondered how she spent her time and found it all quite fascinating. He sat in on staff meetings and deployment negotiations, read reports and spent at least six hours a day training. It was in the training he discovered the true nature of the enhancements Blackwolf had given him. He had expected to be stronger, it surprised him just how much stronger he felt, even in the heavy gravity of Dorsai. He also found he was faster, healed quickly and felt almost no pain. His understanding of the Sardaukar weapons surprised the Graham weapons master, after only a day on the rifle range and two days training in armor he pronounced Thorin ready for combat. However, after ten days of meetings, training and dinner parties Thorin wanted some time alone with his wife. He suggested to Kaylea they sneak away somewhere quiet for a few days. She wholeheartedly agreed and told him she knew just the place.   
The next morning Kaylea took him down to the stables and picked out a horse for him. They took a trail up the coast, riding the whole day along the backs of the steep fjords to a cabin in a hidden cove. It had been a near perfect day, the sun warm in a cloudless sky, the horses’ feet on the path and the cries of the seabirds the only sounds they heard. Watching Ajax hunt voles in the grass, Thorin felt almost like they were riding back to his life on Middle Earth, as if around the next corner would be the entrance to Erebor. Just as the sun was setting they came to a cabin sitting in a grassy meadow just a short distance from waves breaking on the rocks of a sheltered cove, the walls of the fjord rising steeply around them. Thorin and Kaylea immediately fell into their usual travelling routine. She settled the horses, Thorin started a fire in the stone fireplace and got out supplies for dinner. The place was cozy and comfortable, well stocked with provisions, Thorin guessed Kaylea must have sent them ahead. He hung his coat on a hook by the door and shook his head at Ajax already curled up on the bed.   
After dinner Thorin stirred the coals and placed a few pieces of wood on the fire then settled himself on the wooly hide in front of the hearth. Kaylea had finished clearing up after dinner and came in with a tall bottle and two glasses. She took a seat in front of him, leaning back to watch the fire. Thorin stretched out his legs on either side of his wife, pulling her close against him. He sipped at his drink, enjoying the soft crackling of the fire, the sound of the ocean on the rocks just outside the cabin, the feel of the woman he loved in his arms.   
“This is more like it,” he said softly, brushing Kaylea’s hair to one side over her shoulder.  
“I thought you wanted to see Dorsai,” Kaylea smiled, stroking his arm.   
“I was thinking of a horseback ride across it, not standing around at dinner parties.” Thorin sighed. “I think I am officially homesick, my love.”   
“I am glad to hear it, husband,” she replied. “I am homesick for Erebor myself.’  
Thorin gazed into the fire thoughtfully. “It is so easy here to get caught up in the conveniences of the Empire, the newness and the novelty. The ride today, being with you in this cabin has made me remember how much I miss the quiet, the slower pace, and my family.”   
“All the reasons I miss Middle Earth,” Kaylea said. “I have quite a bit of leave coming. We will not have to come back here until just before Samhain next year. We will get to enjoy the festival before you join the class at the academy.”   
Thorin quickly did the calculation. “So, almost two years on Middle Earth,” he said. “I like your plan.” He was stroking her hair with his fingers, she was wearing it loose except for a braid along her temples that kept her hair back from her face. “You never get these tight enough,” he said softly. “I am going to give you a proper Dwarvish style.”   
Kaylea chuckled. “I have given up trying to do them to your specifications.”   
“I think you just like having me do your braids,” he teased. He got up to retrieve a comb and his pouch of beads. He actually loved to braid her hair, since a Dwarf never braided a woman’s hair unless she was his wife. It was his way of telling everyone she belonged to him alone, though it felt strange to not be rebraiding the ones she had been wearing for so long.   
“After all these years we are finally about to start a life together,” Kaylea said, as he worked. “Do you ever wish your life could be different? Just ride away somewhere in Middle Earth and be a country blacksmith?”   
Thorin laughed. “I am a King from a long line of Kings,” he said. “You are a warrior from an ancient tribe of warriors. We could not be other than we are.” He was adding some beads to her loose hair. “Remember I lived that life in Middle Earth for many years, and here again. The simple life is not for those like us. Maybe for a short time, but in the long run it would never satisfy us.”   
Kaylea looked over her shoulder at him. “Then will you be content as a soldier in the Sarkaukar, I wonder? You will have to put the great King Under the Mountain aside, find a way to defer to the members of the Great Houses  
“I will be content if I can be at your side,” Thorin said. “And I will still be King of Erebor. Truthfully, I am looking forward to the adventure of it.”   
“You will find adventure to spare in the Sardaukar,” Kaylea said. “It may be the hardest thing you will ever do, it was for me.”   
Thorin fitted the last bead into her hair. He had given Kaylea two small braids from each temple to the back of her head, one above the other and adorned with beads. At the back they were braided together with more of her hair to form an elaborate many-stranded braid. He admired the result for a moment before pulling her close against him.   
“All these years and still you doubt me. I told you before, I am going to graduate at the top of my class. With everything that Elf lord of yours put in my head, I may be able to test out of the first year entirely.”   
“I still serve him because I must, but he is not my lord,” Kaylea said quietly. “You are.”   
“I know,” Thorin replied softly, kissing her neck. “And I will always be true to you, my lady.” 

 

5\. TROYIUS

Thorin Oakenshield stepped out of the elevator and felt as if he was back in Middle Earth. Before him was a wide bridge, arching over a jagged ravine at the bottom of which a river rushed over sharp boulders more than a thousand feet below. The bridge led to a finely constructed castle, towers and ramparts and steep roofs glistening in the sun, perched at the top of a spire of white rock. In the early morning light, with the land below still in shadow it seemed to almost be floating there, suspended on air. From the river far below bare rock ascended almost vertically until it met a high wall of white stone. Between the wall and the castle was a green space, Thorin was sure he saw the golden leaves of mallorn trees among the dark firs. The bridge before him ended at a second wall that enclosed the keep, tall metal gates at the other end.   
“Well, that is not ostentatious at all,” he said with a grin.   
“Said the man wearing a jeweled coat,” Kaylea Wolf replied, she shifted the parcel she was carrying under her arm. “Shall we?”   
Thorin buttoned his coat against the morning chill, he had thought it quite understated. The dark red coat he wore over his impeccably tailored suit had Dwarvish designs stitched into the back and shoulders, sparkling with tiny rubies and sapphires. He was wearing a belt to match. “No harm in reminding him I am the King of Erebor,” he replied.   
Kaylea nodded. “Fair enough.” Thorin smiled at his wife. He wished she had chosen to come as his Queen but she had insisted on wearing her dress uniform, though she was wearing her hair in a Dwarvish style. It still gave him a little pang of regret to see her without the braids that matched his, but it would not be for much longer. Today would be the end of their negotiations with Lord Blackwolf, he was determined not to leave without the shield codes and be done dealing with the Elf. Today he would see Kaylea’s oath fulfilled.   
They stepped out onto the bridge, the wind hit them at once. Rushing through the river passage, cold on their exposed skin. On the other side of the keep the narrow ridge dropped away into an ocean fjord. As they walked Kaylea reminded Thorin again of what they would face. “This whole place is like a museum,” she said. “Blackwolf will have laid out artifacts designed to provoke a reaction from you. Do not give him what he wants.”   
“Are you not going to help me with this, my love?”   
Kaylea shook her head. “This is your meeting. If I see a chance to steer the conversation to your advantage I will take it, but otherwise I will stay silent.” She wanted to be very clear that Thorin was in charge. They had talked it through several times but this was his negotiation. After the last two years in Erebor she felt they were closer now than they had ever been. They had always worked together to manage the responsibilities of his kingdom, and there had been much to do after the years of his unexpected absence. This time however, Thorin helped her with the tasks of her command, which he had never done before. Even though she was on leave, there were always things that needed her attention. Kaylea knew Thorin felt she had been keeping secrets from him, but really she had just left unspoken things of which he had no knowledge. Now that he had experienced the Empire for himself, and knew its inner workings, it surprised her how much she enjoyed having him work beside her. His insights had proven to be very valuable, as hers had always been to him. The experience had helped them reconnect with each other, making their relationship even stronger, and proven they could work as a team in both their worlds.   
All Thorin’s subjects had been very happy to see him returned, not least of all his son Thror who had been ruling in his stead. As Thorin had surmised, Thranduil had told his people that Thorin had left his kingdom without giving word of his destination. The Dwarves of Erebor had been searching for him high and low. Thorin told the story that he and Thranduil had argued, he somehow had missed a step and hit his head. When he awakened he had found himself in a boat floating down the Anduin with no memory of who he was. A boatman from Asgaroth had taken him south to the harbor of Belfalas. There he joined the crew on a ship that crossed the sea. After much wandering, during which time his memory returned, he had come to Dorsai and found Kaylea Wolf, who had brought him home. Thorin got to have his revenge on the Woodland King when he showed up at his door with that letter from Blackwolf, the memory still made him smile. Of course everyone noticed Kaylea was no longer wearing his braids, though none dared to ask about it. One day when Thorin was away in Dale, Thror took her aside to discover the reason. Smiling at his concern, she gave them basically the straight story, saying that her intention was to win them back. Thror seemed taken aback his father would question her loyalty, but Kaylea assured him she understood why he had done so, and giving him back her braids had been her way of acknowledging he was right and at the same time declaring her intention to win them back.   
They reached the far end of the bridge, the tall metal gates swung inward silently. On the other side was another bridge over the deep moat that surrounded the castle. They passed through another set of tall metal doors into a large entry hall. A white tree stood in the center, green leaves shining in the blue-tinted sunlight coming down through the crystal roof. Thorin frowned at it, thinking of the dead tree that had stood before the Citadel in Gondor. Next to the tree was a tall, dark-haired man wearing the uniform of Blackwolf’s house. Thorin recognized him at once, Dakota Severance, the face of House Troyius. This was the man who represented Blackwolf to the Empire. The Elf never left his home planet, and no pictures of him existed anywhere. Whenever his presence was required it was Dakota who played the role. Tall as a Dorsai, but with the curly black hair and almond-shaped eyes of an Exotic, Thorin wondered if he was another of Blackwolf’s genetic engineering projects.   
He stepped forward and bowed low to Thorin. “Welcome to Minas Carcharoth, your majesty.”   
The black wolf of Angmar, Thorin thought to himself. I should have guessed.  
“I will take you to my lord,” Dakota said, indicating that they should follow him. Thorin looked around the hall, the place was deathly quiet, as if the three of them were the only ones in the whole castle.   
“I know the way,” Kaylea said. “Don’t trouble yourself.” Thorin was surprised at his wife’s tone, like cold water on ice. She stepped around Dakota and strode toward the archway at the back of the hall. Thorin followed, he gave the man a quick glance and saw he was watching Kaylea’s back, his face filled with disappointment and a kind of deep longing. Thorin wondered what the history was between them. There was a concealed elevator in the passage from the entry to the large hall behind, the doors opened as soon as Kaylea stopped in front of it.   
“What was that all about?” Thorin asked as soon as the door was closed.   
“The relationship between me and Dakota is…complicated,” Kayela answered, looking at the floor. “He loves me, I cannot stand him. That is the short version.”   
“Yes, I saw that,” Thorin smiled at her. “I would like to hear the long version one day.”   
The elevator doors opened and they stepped out onto a wide gallery, one side lined with glass cases containing various objects, the other a series of arches and windows looking out on the mountains across the fjord. As they walked down the passage Thorin could see Kaylea had not been exaggerating. The cases contained finely-wrought jewelry, weapons and armor in an Elvish style Thorin had never seen before. In all his years Thorin had never seen work so fine. They were about halfway down the gallery before Thorin realized he was probably looking at objects from before the First Age, perhaps some had even been wrought by Blackwolf himself before he came out of the West. Things that according to Elvish legend had been destroyed. Was Blackwolf letting him know other things that were supposedly lost were still in his possession? At the last case before they came to the door Thorin had his answer. Laying there, on a cushion of red velvet, was the crown of Durin. The original one, supposedly eaten by dragons several ages ago. Thorin could feel his blood rising, then he felt Kaylea’s hand on his shoulder.   
“Take a deep breath, husband,” she said softly. “Remember why we are here. If you want to bargain for the return of that crown, it needs to be a different negotiation.”   
Thorin wrenched his gaze away, trying to clear his mind. Kaylea held the door open for him. The were in a long, high-ceilinged room with sitting areas of soft chairs, spice-fiber tapestries and a transparent outer wall. The view of the fjord and mountains was breathtaking. Blackwolf was not there.   
“Now we wait,” Kaylea said. She put her parcel on one of the couches and walked over to a sideboard on which was laid plates of delicate pastries and several pitchers. “Would you like some coffee? We may be here awhile.”   
Thorin was standing by the outer wall, looking out at the mountains. Troyius was the sister planet to Dorsai, circling the same sun in a closer orbit. The geography of the planets was very similar, Troyius had larger land masses and a slightly warmer climate. He took the coffee Kaylea offered him and joined her on one of the couches. He found himself thinking about his son in Erebor. Thorin had formally decreed that Thror was to rule until his return and set his affairs in order for an extended absence. His son had done well ruling during the years he had been gone, he would make a good king one day. Thorin was determined that the matter of access to Middle Earth would be settled today. Blackwolf had already given Kaylea the codes and taken them back, now Thorin was resolved to make sure that did not happen again.   
They were on their second cup when Lord Blackwolf appeared. He came through a door hidden in the paneling at the other end of the hall, wearing his usual dark blue suit with the long jacket. He was not bothering with the grey hair today, but he was definitely keeping his power veiled. Kaylea stood up and kneeled before him, Thorin remained where he was.   
The tall Elf paused, looking around as he motioned for Kaylea to get up. “Where is Dakota? I told him to accompany you,” he said, in Elvish.  
“I do not need a guide, my lord. I am hoping he hung himself,” Kaylea replied.  
Blackwolf gave her a reproachful look. He took a seat in the chair across from them, Thorin saw his eyes go to the parcel Kaylea had brought. “What can I do for you, your majesty?”   
“It is time we finish our negotiations about shield access codes,” Thorin said. “The last time we spoke you told me you did not wish to come between us, I am here to see if you meant it.”   
The lord leaned back in his chair, steepling his long fingers. “I have given you access.”   
“You have given it once and rescinded it. I want unrestricted access and your guarantee you will not impede it.” Thorin’s eyes narrowed. “If you can swear an oath you will not break.”   
The Elf lord’s face went still. “You will have my word.”   
Thorin snorted. “Do you forget who you are talking to? I know what your word is worth.”   
Blackwolf took a deep breath, brushing imaginary lint of his trousers. “All this talk of oaths is a bit premature. What are we discussing exactly?” He gave Kaylea a critical glance. “When did you change your hair?”   
“I am not interested in shield codes you can turn off at a whim,” Thorin replied. “I want a code generator.”  
The Elf looked up at him sharply. “No. I have spent many ages protecting my home from the ravages of the Empire, I will not let a means of access leave my control.”   
“A hard line then,” Kaylea said. “One the shield generators will recognize.”   
Blackwolf turned his attention to her. “And what is the offer?”   
Kaylea held up a slim data card. “If I was asking for myself, this would be enough.” She placed the card on the low table between them and slid it toward her lord. Blackwolf leaned forward and picked it up, turning it over in his fingers.   
“But you are not asking for just yourself. This is not all we discussed,” he said. Thorin put the parcel they had brought on the table, the palantir they had kept safe in Erebor for so many years. The Elf continued to look at him expectantly. Shaking his head, Thorin reached into his coat and took out a parchment envelope sealed with his royal seal.   
Blackwolf smiled, just slightly. “When is the wedding?”   
“In two days.”   
The Elf lord stood up, putting his hands behind his back he walked over to the windows and stood there for some time, as if lost in thought. Finally he turned back to face Kaylea.   
“Very well,” he said. “It will not be easy, but I can put a hidden line of code in your tactical chip, a way to access the generator of the shield.” He turned to Thorin. “Now, what oath will you accept? Must I cut off a finger?”   
Thorin chuckled humorlessly. “Such an oath would mean nothing to you. What could you swear on, I wonder? What is it that you prize about all things, even your kinsmen and your family?”   
Blackwolf’s face went dark. “Those that you speak of were destroyed long ago.”   
Thorin stood up, gathering his majesty he stood in front of the Elf lord defiantly, the King Under the Mountain staring the great lord down. “Were they indeed? I wonder.”   
Thorin could feel Kaylea’s alarm, he knew she was thinking Blackwolf was about to call off the deal. Thorin had dealt with a few Elven lords in his time, but this one was unlike any other. This one did not spend his time telling tales and studying arcane lore, he was about gathering power and using it. And no one had challenged him in centuries, Thorin was guessing he was enjoying himself. He held his gaze long enough for the Elf to know he could hold it indefinitely, then he looked down and reached into his coat pocket.   
“I have something for you.” He took out a carefully folded mallorn leaf and handed it to the Elf lord. “The one who gave me this said it is in remembrance of all that has been lost. I wonder, my lord, would you swear an oath on the life of the great lady who was once keeper of the land from whence this came?”   
Blackwolf was looking at the leaf in his hand, his face unreadable. He pinched the edge of the leaf and pulled it back, it opened up to reveal a single star-shaped yellow flower. Although it had been in Thorin’s keeping if for many months, it looked as fresh as if he had picked it that morning. There were still drops of dew in it. Blackwolf stared at the flower for a long moment, his face remained unchanged but Thorin could tell he was lost in some memory.   
“Very well, your majesty,” the Elf lord said, not looking up from the flower. “I will swear on she whose like the world will never see again. I will give you your code generator and not impede your access to Middle Earth. And if I break this oath may all her works wither and die.”   
Thorin nodded solemnly. “I accept your oath.”   
Blackwolf sighed, bringing himself back to the present. He refolded the leaf and put it in his pocket then picked up the envelope from the table, breaking the seal he took out the invitation. “It will take me some time to prepare the code, may I send it to you on Dorsai?” He looked to Kaylea for her response.   
“Do not write it for me, my lord,” she said, nodding towards Thorin. “It is for the King.”   
The Elf lord looked at her in disbelief. “You are serious?”   
“Yes.” Kaylea stood up and took her place at Thorin’s side. “Did you not know that the King was negotiating for himself?”   
Blackwolf looked from one to the other of them, then fixed Kaylea with a hard stare. “You will give up this access you have worked so hard for, once he is gone?”  
Kaylea nodded, bowing her head. “When that day comes, when my King is laid in the stone halls of his fathers, I will no longer need access. From that day forward all Middle Earth will hold for me is memories and sorrow.”   
Blackwolf was silent for a moment, then he shook his head. “Very well, if that is your decision. At least you will have many years before that day arrives, if he ever starts ageing again.” He shot Thorin a disgusted glance before turning his attention back to Kaylea. “Know this: just because you are calling in the favors I owe you does not mean you are no longer in my service.”   
“Of course, my lord,” Kaylea replied. “I will still serve you faithfully, but I will serve my King first. If you make me choose, I will always choose my husband.”   
Blackwolf took a breath as if he was about to say something, but then he paused and shook his head. He picked up the palantir and walked back the way he had come. “I will see you at the wedding,” he half-turned to speak over his shoulder. “I will not be staying for the reception.” Then he was gone.  
The door was barely closed before Kaylea grabbed Thorin and kissed him. He kissed her back passionately, feeling her relax in his arms. Kissing his wife was one of his favorite things to do, it was a long moment before he drew back.  
“That seemed too easy. Is it really over?” He asked, smiling.   
“That was well done, husband,” Kaylea said. “Blackwolf is never what you expect, but that flower was a stroke of genius. Despite what you think, he is a man of his word. He will write you that code and full access will be yours.”   
“Ours, you mean. I am glad we made time to visit Lorien, and Glorfindel was right about that flower,” Thorin looked up at her slyly. “We should go, we have an appointment back at the Tor.”   
“An appointment?” Kaylea frowned at him.   
“You will see, my love,” Thorin said, taking her hand. As they went past the case with the crown of Durin he took a long look at it. That was for another day. 

Dorsai was only an hour jump from Troyius, it was mid-afternoon when Thorin and Kaylea returned to Tor Graham. Thorin took her hand and led her immediately to the tower room where she had sworn her oath nearly eighteen months ago. As before, Hyway Graham was standing beside the stone in the center of the room.   
Since she had cut off her braids, Kaylea had been careful to keep no secrets from her husband, and today she had passed the final test. Kaylea had declared her intention to put her husband before the Elf. How that evolved over time he had yet to see, but Thorin could bear the sight of his wife without her matching braids no longer.   
Kaylea took her place beside the stone, Thorin at her side. He took out the two mithril beads he had made while they were in Erebor. Finely engraved and set with tiny sapphires, he knew they would be perfect with her wedding dress. Working quickly and precisely, Thorin took her hair out of its single braid and combed it out. The four-stranded braids from her temples took him no time at all. As he was fitting the second bead on the bottom, he looked up to see his wife’s eyes filled with tears. Smiling, he gently wiped them away.   
“I call your oath fulfilled,” he said quietly. He ran his fingers down her braids, thinking again how proud he was to have her wear them.  
“Thank you, my king,” she said, her voice unsteady. She reached for his hands.  
Hyway nodded to Thorin. “The oath is fulfilled. I have seen it done.” He came to attention and bowed slightly to Kaylea, then turned and left the room.   
They stood together holding hands for a moment, then Thorin looked up at her. “Please do not tell me I cannot see you tonight.”   
“That is tomorrow, the night before the wedding,” Kaylea smiled, putting her arm around his waist. “There is no way you are sleeping alone tonight.”   
Thorin reached up to put a hand on the side of her face. “Swear to me you will never do this again.”   
“If I do that, my king, the next time you question my loyalty it will mean a finger.”   
“I will never need to question you again,” Thorin replied. “Of that I am sure.”   
“Then I will swear to never again cut off these braids,” Kaylea ran her fingers down them as she spoke. “Should I call Hyway back?”   
Thorin shook his head. “Your word is all I require, my love.” 

 

6\. RESCUE MISSION

As the airlock cycled Thorin Oakenshield watched the indicators in his helmet go green then joined his teammates in retracting his armor. Interfacing with his armor still made his neck itch, but he was getting better at ignoring the sensation. The air was stale, but breathable. Conner led the way down the corridor, it was roughly hewn out of the rock of the tiny moon, lighting panels spaced every few meters. As they proceeded down the metal walkway, guns at the ready, Thorin found his attention being drawn to the walls of the tunnel. Something about them was just wrong.   
“Why are we doing this again?” Kynes asked, addressing no one in particular. They were passing a side tunnel, he brought his rifle up to cover as he moved past.   
“Because someone has to rescue the princess,” Thorin replied. He brought his rifle up as he walked past the dark opening. He saw something, some kind of ripple. He fired a burst almost without thinking, then stared at the black body lying on the floor in front of him, long tentacles twitching.   
“Displacer beast,” said Sinclair. “Nice shooting.”   
“A displacer nest,” Warrior said, he was leading the second squad behind them. The Kzin shook his head. “We will be lucky to find anyone alive down here.”   
Thorin took a deep breath. Displacer beasts, one of the galaxy’s nastier predators. Large, black-furred and ravenous, able to teleport short distances and “displace” their vital signs so they could appear to be somewhere else. They were often found out on the Rim in abandoned installations where they could feed on old power sources. That explained what had happened to the princess’s Imperial escort. Unlike the Sardaukar, Imperial troops fought in armor all the time. It was useless against displacers, the power sources attracted them and you would never see them coming.  
“Let’s just find the princess and get out of here,” Wallace said. He was the leader of the second squad Conner had requested for backup. “Then to Dorsai for some downtime.”   
“Back in time for Samhain,” Thorin said, which got him thinking about seeing Kaylea. It had been nearly a year and he could not wait. He was coming off his last section of field training, it would be back to Belka now for a while where they could be together every night.   
“What is the first thing you are going to do when you get back to Dorsai?” Kynes asked, grinning at him.   
“Kiss my wife,” Thorin replied, grinning back.   
“Spoken like a true newlywed,” Conner said. The lighting panels ended and the corridor stretched out into darkness. He adjusted his glasses, scanning for life signs. “How long have you been married again?”   
Thorin had to think, the last couple years had been a blur and he always calculated it in Middle Earth time. “Almost 16 years.”   
“That long and you are still that crazy about her? She must be some woman,” Conner chuckled. The scuttlebutt was Oakenshield was married to General Wolf, but nobody really believed it. Most in the corps considered it a sort of urban legend, the only evidence he had seen was Thorin and the general were wearing the same wolf and raven design on their armor; it was common practice on Dorsai for married couples to combine their House crests. Thorin had been training in his squad for almost eight months and had talked very little about his wife, or about himself for that matter. The man had such an aristocratic air about him, Connor was certain he was a member of one of the Great Houses. The long hair and beard had to be a disguise.  
“She is indeed,” Thorin said softly, smiling to himself. Whenever he started thinking about Kaylea he found it very hard to stop. Her smile, the smell of her hair, the way her skin felt under his fingers.   
“Wait a minute,” said MacLean from behind the Kzin. “Didn’t I hear you were married like two years ago?”   
“That was the third time,” Thorin replied, adjusting his glasses. “I always count from the first time.” The tunnel they were in suddenly opened up into a huge space, more than a hundred meters across. It was designed to look like a natural cavern, but to Thorin’s practiced eye it clearly was not. What is this place?  
“You have married the same woman three times?” Warrior asked, the Kzin was obviously puzzled. “That seems like odd behavior, even for a human.”   
“It is a bit of a long story,” Thorin said, And I am not a Man. He refrained from trying to explain the difference to the Kzin, which would be pointless. “We appear to have found the escort.”   
The floor of the cavern in front of them was littered with armored bodies, there was no telling how many displacers were out there. Kynes was adjusting his glasses. “Could be life signs ahead,” he said. The material of the tiny moon was so dense it had defeated all their surface scans. Wallace came up beside them, nodding his head. “Looks like six, on the other side of this hangar. Form up, switch to swords.”   
Thorin swung his rifle over his back and drew his sword. He felt much more comfortable with the familiar weapon in his hands, the sword Kaylea had given him so many years ago. Edged weapons were much faster in close combat. His mind went back to how he had come to be on this rock at the edge of known space. Just two days ago they had been on a transport to Dorsai for some well-earned leave after six months of desert training when the call came down. An Intergalactic Expeditions party was investigating a moon around gas giant T16 with some pre-First Empire tech on it, the party had landed six days ago and had not been heard from since. To make it worse, the moon seemed to be in a decaying orbit. Normally the Sardaukar would not rescue a private company, but this one was the Princess Vasha’s pet project. They were the closest rescue, and as the most experienced leader aboard, Conner had been chosen to take point. He had called Wallace’s squad in for backup. The princess would have had a sizeable Imperial escort. Something had happened to them, which meant they were possibly walking into a very dangerous situation. Not wanting to repeat any of the expedition’s mistakes, Conner had brought their ship close and jumped to the moon in armor. The Intergalactic ships were there, undamaged but with no crew in sight. They had found an airlock, centuries old but still functional, and were now hoping one of those life signs was the princess.   
Conner led the way out into the cavern, Thorin to his left and Kynes on his right. Wallace and his squad came behind, the Kzin Warrior and MacLean. They kept a tight fighting formation, backed into triangles, moving carefully and quickly. They had gone about 10 meters when the displacers started to hit them. Thorin found he had to anticipate where they were going to be and swing his sword before they appeared. He watched for the ripple in the air he had seen before. He swung at one beast but it outguessed him and suddenly appeared on his right, wrapping a tentacle around his arm. He felt like his life was being sucked out for a second before Conner took the creature’s head off. Thorin took a deep breath, feeling his body recover with a rush of adrenaline, he was almost used to the feeling now. He was able to return the favor a moment later when a displacer grabbed Conner by the leg.  
They had left twelve dead displacer beasts on the floor when they reached the other end of the cavern. Warrior had just sliced the head off one with his long claws when a door swung open in the wall in front of them, they hurried through and an Imperial guardsman swung it shut behind them. They were in a sizable semi-circular room lined with odd, pointed rock formations sticking out of the walls and up through the floor. In the room were the four remaining members of the princess’s guard, a scholarly-looking little man who was probably the expedition leader and the Princess Vasha herself.   
“We are glad to see you!” The guardsman who had closed the door exclaimed. He extended a hand to Conner, who grasped his arm in the forearm to forearm handshake of the Imperial troops. “The displacers have left us alone in here but our comms can’t get through.”   
“You guys would need help finding water if you fell out of a boat,” Conner replied, with a grin. The princess came up to stand in front of him, Conner and the other Sardaukar all bowed low, Thorin not as low as the others.  
“What took you so long?” She demanded, her manner all imperious annoyance.   
“You are at the edge of known space, your highness,” Wallace replied as he straightened up. “None could have reached you sooner.” He did not say it, but his tone was clear. The Rim is not for amateurs. He looked around the walls of the room. “The orbit of this rock is deteriorating rapidly, we need to move.”   
The party looked like they had been holed up in the room for a few days, the guardsmen started ordering the equipment. “Did you get all the displacers?” The first one asked.   
“No way to know,” Conner replied. “But we can probably make a few trips before they start hitting us again. It will take time to recover all the bodies.” Just as he finished speaking the room began to tilt sideways, it slid about ten degrees then righted itself. The Sardaukar all exchanged glances. “Has it been doing that often?”   
“It does that a few times every day,” the civilian said, closing up his case. “Don’t know how long we have until this thing falls into the planet. It’s too bad, I would love to be able to study this place further, find out what it was used for.” The room tilted again, more sharply.   
“That is new,” said the guardsman who had first greeted them. This time it did not correct itself.   
Kynes activated the arm of his armor and looked at the display. “The planet is pulling us in. We have maybe a couple hours to clear out.”   
“Maybe we can fly out,” Thorin said. He was looking at the odd pointed shards of stone coming up out of the floor, there were a line of three in front of him. He put a hand on one, it was definitely not stone. This is a machine.   
Conner looked at him quizzically. “What are you talking about?”   
For answer Thorin closed his hand on the stone formation and pushed, it resisted then slid forward with an audible click. He quickly pushed the other two forward, the floor began to vibrate, lighting panels flickered overhead. There was a distant low hum and the room leveled out. Everyone was staring at him in astonishment, then it tilted hard the other way. “Hit those levers above you,” Thorin barked at MacLean, he turned to his right. “And those,” he said to Sinclair, the command in his voice was such the soldiers instantly obeyed. Thorin moved quickly back and forth, pushing whatever would move and trying to find some kind of steering control, the ship was obviously built for something much larger than himself. When Conner pushed the last piece of rock over his head forward a wide view screen materialized on the wall just in front of them. The planet beneath them loomed ominously close. As each control arm had been pushed the rock-like covering had fallen away, revealing burnished metal that looked oddly as though it was growing out of the walls and floor. In front of the viewscreen were two widely-spaced control arms that Thorin guessed might be for steering. He put his hand over one, felt it roll and the ship angled slightly away from the planet. They probably needed to be used in conjunction and they were too far apart for any of them to use, except for the tall Kzin.   
Thorin looked up at Warrior expectantly. “Think you could get us out of here?”   
Warrior did not move, he regarded Thorin impassively with his green eyes, his ears flat against his head. The cat-like Kzin had a rigid caste system, Warriors were at the top, Pilots were several rungs down. Kzin were not known for their multi-tasking.   
“Go on, give it a try,” Wallace said, he was Warrior’s team leader but one really couldn’t order a Kzin. “We promise not to tell anyone.”   
Warrior sighed and reluctantly took the pilot’s place in front of the console, the end of his long tail twitching in annoyance. “If any of you speak about this I will rip out your spine,” he said, putting his hands on the controls. Thorin stood to one side, next to the four levers he had originally moved. He felt these had to be the engines, and as Warrior tested the steering he moved the levers forward and back to see how it affected the ship’s moves. Together they were able to steer the moonship into a higher, stable orbit.   
The Kzin could not wait to step away from the controls, wiping his hands with a cloth as if they were contaminated. Thorin pulled the levers for the engines back to were he had originally found them. He turned away and nearly bumped into the princess, who had come up right next to him.   
“What is your family name?” She asked. “I feel you must be a member of one of the Houses, but I do not recognize you.” She smiled. “You I would remember.”   
“My family is indeed a very old one,” Thorin said politely. “But it is not a name you would know. I am called Thorin Oakenshield.”   
“Which is not your family name,” the princess replied, not accustomed to being disobeyed. “I could compel you to tell me.”  
Thorin drew himself up, his royalty suddenly obvious to everyone in the room. He looked at the princess as if she were something he had scraped off his shoe. “You are welcome to try,” he said coldly.  
The soldiers all blinked at him. It was not everyday you heard someone tell a member of the royal family to go fuck themselves. Conner smiled inwardly, he had seen Thorin do this before, he thought of it as him ‘putting on his majesty’. Thorin could practically crush people with it. To the princess’s credit she kept her body straight, but she could not meet his gaze. Sinclair came to her rescue by walking between them and bowing to the princess. “We are ready to move out, your highness”   
The princess shot a quick glance at Thorin. “Very well, keep your secrets,” she said. “I am ready to get out of this place.”   
Conner’s squad formed up around the princess and took her out, Wallace’s squad did the same for the expedition leader, who they were all calling Professor. The Imperial guards took up the rear and they reached their ships without incident. The Professor spent the whole time trying to convince Conner and Wallace that Intergalactic Expeditions still had a claim on the moonship, even though they had been there six days and had no idea what it actually was until Thorin had shown them. Conner was having none of it – Thorin found it, it belonged to the Sardaukar. Pre-Empire tech like this was incredibly valuable, there was no way he was giving it up. The princess remained silent, letting them argue it out. He eyes went often to Thorin, studying him curiously, but she did not speak to him again.   
Once they had the princess and the Professor safely settled the soldiers started recovering the bodies of the fallen. It took a couple hours to get them all and they did have to fight off another displacer attack. One of the Imperial guards was hit, but they were able to get him to a medunit in time.   
“How did you know this was a ship?” Kynes asked Thorin as they were carrying out the bodies.   
“Stone speaks to me, I knew this thing was not stone,” he replied. “Where I come from we live underground, and my people have a natural understanding of machinery.”   
“You live underground?” Kynes shook his head, as if to clear it. He looked at Thorin closely. “I am having a weird feeling that we have met before somewhere.”   
“Do you mean seven months ago when we were assigned as a squad?” Thorin asked with a smile. He had recognized Kynes and Conner immediately as two of the soldiers Kaylea had brought to Middle Earth to fight in the War of the Ring. Their minds had been wiped but there were always some residual impressions that remained.  
“Yeah, that must be it,” Kynes laughed, shrugging it off. 

Once they were back at the transport, it was only two more days before they landed on Dorsai. The princess’s rescue had been all over the media for a day and a half, she gave many tearful interviews thanking her brave Sardaukar rescuers, though she neglected to mention any of their names. The media reported that the moonship had fallen into the gas giant and the expedition was a total loss. Thorin could only imagine what fun Lord Blackwolf was going to have with that thing once it had been towed to Troyius, Conner said the tech was completely unknown.   
It was one of those perfect fall days when they arrived on Dorsai, the sun shining brightly, the crisp smell of autumn in the air. As they walked down the transport ramp Thorin saw Kaylea Wolf leaning against an ATV waiting for him. She smiled when she saw him, coming forward to greet him. She was not in uniform, her hair was down, the beads on her braids sparkling in the sun. Inside the open neck of her shirt he could see she was wearing the stranded jeweled chain he had given her many years ago.   
Thorin dropped his bag and swept her into his arms, drawing her mouth down to his and lifting her off her feet to swing her around as he kissed her. “How I have missed you, my love,” he said, kissing her again. He reached to run his finger along her necklace. “You know what it does to me when you wear my gifts,” he whispered in her ear, pulling her tight against him.   
“Why do you think I am wearing it, husband?” Kaylea said softly, running her hands inside his coat. Her body against his felt so good.   
The rest of the soldiers coming down the ramp froze in their tracks, watching them.  
Odin’s teeth! Conner thought to himself. It’s really true! He exchanged glances with his companions as the general separated herself from Thorin and walked toward them. They came to attention smartly.   
“As you were. Carry on,” Kaylea said, she motioned for Conner to follow her and they walked out of earshot of the others. Thorin was loading his bag into the ATV across the ramp.   
“That was good work on T16,” she told him.   
Conner smiled. “Thank you, sir, that was mostly Oakenshield. The rest was just taking out a few displacers and securing the princess.”   
“You have been training with Thorin for almost seven months. What’s your opinion?”   
“I can send you my preliminary evaluation, if you like, sir,” Conner replied, getting out his handheld. Kaylea unlocked hers so he could throw her the report. “Permission to speak frankly, sir?” Conner saw the slight smile as the general nodded her assent. “I am impressed. He works hard, trains harder, he’s a natural born leader. The only thing that would keep him from commanding this whole outfit is that stubborn streak of his. Six leagues wide and six deep, as the saying goes.”   
Kaylea chuckled softly. “I think it is bigger than that,” she said. “But I do know him better than you do.”   
Conner grinned. “And he is going to have to learn to keep that attitude in check. Watching him tell the princess off was priceless, but that kind of thing is going to get him in trouble one day. If I may ask, which House is he from? I’m not buying the primitive planet story for a minute.” Kaylea was scanning through his report, Conner could not help noticing the spectacular ring she was wearing on her left hand, the same wolf and raven design as Thorin had on his armor, with a luminous blue-white stone. The wedding band with it sparkled with tiny blue gems.   
“He is not a member of any of the Great Houses, but in his own land Thorin is from a long line of great kings,” Kaylea said as she slipped her device into her pocket. “It is hard to put aside something you have been your entire life.”  
Conner looked at her questioningly, his blue eyes twinkling in amusement. “If he is a King, and you are married…does that make you a Queen?”   
“I will ask you to leave that line of inquiry alone, soldier,” Kaylea said curtly.   
Conner snapped to attention, smiling. “Sir, yes, sir!”   
Kaylea shook her head at him. “You are dismissed. Enjoy your holiday.” She walked back to where Thorin was waiting by the vehicle. He slid an arm around her and kissed her neck.   
“What was that all about?” He asked. Kaylea smiled at him.   
“Just asking how you did on your training,” she said. “He says he is going to fail you.”   
Thorin chuckled. “I will sort him out later,” he pulled her close against him, inhaling deeply. He ran his hand over her body and down between her legs. “Right now, I am going to take you up to the room and have my way with you.”   
Kaylea smiled, her hand against him below his belt. “I like the sound of that, husband.”


	6. The General's Husband

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I have written quite a bit about Kaylea Wolf's life as the Queen of Erebor. Now that Thorin Oakenshield has moved into her world, I wanted to write a story about how they spend their time in her Empire. 
> 
> Warnings: Fluff, minor Smut, a dose of Foreshadowing. Mostly Fluff.

I.

The constellations he knew so well hung in the sky above him. There was the Anvil directly overhead, and through the trees to his left he could see the Forge and the star the Elves called Earendil. The horizon was already beginning to lighten in the east, a line of light grey appearing on the crest of the mountains. Thorin Oakenshield took a deep breath, shifting his body against his wife beside him. Kaylea felt him move and rolled over, laying her head on his chest. Thorin put an arm around her shoulders and closed his eyes, wishing they could wake up this way everyday. No hurry to get moving, they wouldn’t arrive on Trantor until the afternoon, and no major crises demanding Kaylea’s attention. He stretched his leg out and encountered cold metal, the belt of gold chainmail Kaylea had been wearing last night, caught in the wreckage of the bed. That had been a nice surprise to find under her clothes, Thorin was thinking of wrapping her in it again when the console chimed.  
“I thought I told you not to bother me, lieutenant,” Kaylea said lightly, her eyes half-closed. She was tracing the muscles in Thorin’s chest with her fingers, wishing she didn’t have to start her day just yet. The wall holos were set to Middle Earth, and she could see by the light it was still early, she wanted a few more minutes with her handsome husband.  
“Sorry, sir,” Bauer’s voice. “Just need your word on a few things.”  
“Send it to my tablet,” Kaylea replied. “I’ll look at it in a minute.”  
“A Sardaukar minute, or an Erebor minute?” She could hear Bauer smiling. It had become a sort of ongoing joke that Thorin operated on a different time scale. Kings did things in their own time, everyone else waited on them.  
“An Erebor minute,” Thorin answered, running his hand down her body and between her legs. He pulled her to him and kissed her deeply, feeling for that belt with his toes. 

It was almost an hour later when Thorin walked into the galley to find some coffee, his hair still wet from the shower, Vuko and Achilles trailing behind. Pilot was sitting at the table reading an actual book, a glass in front of him full of what looked like warm blood. One of the Kzin’s odder personality traits was his fondness for real books, usually fantasy stories. Thorin remembered hearing that the Kzin had supposedly conquered other races to avail themselves of their technology, rather than inventing their own. They had been very successful at it, the Kzin empire now stretched across almost a third of the galaxy, but perhaps they had never got around to inventing the novel.  
“Good morning,” Thorin said, pressing the switch on the coffee maker. He took out a couple of slabs of meat for the wolves and set the replicator to warm them.  
“Good morning, your majesty,” the Kzin replied, glancing up from his book. His ears, which had been half-extended, sunk into the orange fur of his head. “Would you mind thinking about something else?”  
“Sorry,” Thorin replied. “I thought you put in that mind shield so you didn’t have to listen to me anymore.”  
“Blocks don’t work if you are broadcasting,” the Kzin replied dryly, then went back to his book.  
Thorin looked at the big, bright orange cat, wondering not for the first time, what it must be like to hear what everyone around you was thinking, all the time. All the Dorsai were born with mind shields, after the effectiveness of telepaths had been demonstrated in the Psychic Wars. Pilot had put one in Thorin’s mind some time ago, but the Kzin often reminded him they were not effective against really powerful telepaths. Thorin put aside thoughts of his wife and golden chains and concentrated on what it felt like to eat a carrot.  
“Keep that up and you will spend the next year thinking you are a little Elf girl,” Pilot said, without looking up.  
Thorin chuckled, it was an old technique from the Man-Kzin Wars, a sure way to annoy a carnivorous telepath. The replicator chimed, Thorin gave a slab to each politely waiting wolf. Vuko took hers gently, laying down to chew it carefully. Achilles pulled it out of Thorin’s hand, gulping it down standing. The black wolf was just out of puppyhood, fiercely loyal to Kaylea and still learning his role. He reminded Thorin very much of Hector, the wolf she had with her when he first met her; much more serious and standoffish than Ajax had been. Thorin poured two cups of coffee and headed back to their quarters, leaving the wolves to finish breakfast.  
Kaylea was out of the shower and sitting at her desk wrapped in a towel. She took the cup gratefully, not looking up from her tablet. Thorin took a seat on the edge of the desk facing her and enjoyed the view, letting his eyes travel over the curve of her neck, her bare shoulders, the place where her breasts disappeared into the towel. He found himself thinking about chainmail again. After a moment Kaylea leaned back with a sigh and sipped at her coffee.  
“Bad news?” Thorin asked.  
“Sad news. Hyway is ready to retire.”  
“I thought you were expecting that.”  
“Yes, but he will be missed,” she said, looking at him over her cup. “And you know what this means. MacLean will move to the Emperor’s Guard and Matrix will need a new second in command. He is going to ask for you.”  
“No. The answer is the same as the last time. No.” Thorin shook his head. “The only reason I am in the Sardaukar is to be with my wife, I am not making a career out of it.”  
Kaylea smiled at him. “Aren’t you? You are a natural born leader, you graduated third in your class. After that thing on Centari everyone wants you in a command role.”  
“Even you?” He asked. “You want me to go command another division so we only see each other a few times a year? And how would we manage our time in Erebor together?”  
“Of course not,” Kaylea replied. “I want you here with me. But we do spend less time in Erebor since you handed the throne to your son.” She ran her foot up his leg, Thorin reached down and grabbed her heel, then pulled her foot into his lap and started massaging it gently. “We will be there soon.”  
“I am counting the days; Trantor first, then Belka to welcome the new graduating class, Dorsai for Samhain and after that Erebor,” Thorin smiled at her. “Tell Matrix he should promote Harlan Wallace.”  
“You can tell him yourself, we will have a staff meeting when we are all on Belka for the graduation,” Kaylea told him. “The other hero of Centari, not a bad choice.” She tried to pull her foot back but Thorin would not let it go, she smiled at him mischievously. “You are a bad influence.”  
“You mean I finally have some influence over you?” Thorin grinned back. He pulled her foot between his legs, pressing it against him. “Now you can help me with this.”  
“Really?” Kaylea shook her head at him, feeling him like a rock under her foot. “After last night, and this morning? You are insatiable.”  
“You say that like it is a bad thing,” he replied, sliding his fingers down her leg to caress that sensitive spot on the back of her thigh. “We don’t have to be anywhere until this afternoon.” 

Trantor was definitely one of Thorin’s least favorite places, he hated the huge crowds of people, the non-stop pace, the filtered air. The planet was almost entirely covered by cities, the only green spaces were parks and the large game reserves of the Emperor. Trantor was the center of administration for the Empire, the site of the Imperial Palace, as well as Parliament and the embassies of the galaxy’s other major races. A Sardaukar division was permanently based on the planet, as the Emperor’s personal guard. It was a largely ceremonial deployment and every soldier had to take their turn. Thorin had done a stint in training and remembered it as an excruciatingly boring assignment, the only bright spot was getting in a lot of weapons practice, as there was not much else to take up his time. Kaylea was here for a meeting with the Vorlon ambassador, one of the galaxy’s oldest and most mysterious races. Apparently, they had a message for Lord Blackwolf.  
The Sardaukar always operated in squads of three, the third member of Kaylea’s squad was sometimes her aide Bauer and sometimes Pilot, depending on the mission. As they stepped out of the transport in front of the Vorlon embassy, Thorin scanned the faces around them, evaluating threats, reading the terrain, always conscious of where Kaylea and Pilot were; after ten years on his wife’s squad it had become second nature. If the need arose, they could fight their way out of anywhere. The reputation of the Sardaukar was such that civilians usually moved aside, trying not to attract attention. It was the ones that did not move you needed to watch.

Thorin heard the Kzin scoff and glanced over to see Pilot looking up at a building on the other side of the wide street. On the developed planets of the Empire it was common to see giant pictures projected everywhere, advertisements for some product or other, Thorin still found it very jarring. The display had just shifted to a picture of Thorin and Kaylea, taken last year at the Emperor’s birthday. They had been standing on the steps of the palace, Thorin a step above and just behind her, looking at each other with soft smiles. His hand was on her left shoulder, her hand on his, their wedding rings clearly visible, though now they had been altered to show some jeweler’s products. It was a famous picture, it had been everywhere in the week after the event, before the media had moved on to the next thing. Kaylea had a reputation as one of the galaxy’s great beauties and the press was always interested in whoever was on her arm. Coverage of their marriage has lasted through three whole news cycles.  
“You look shorter in person, your majesty,” Pilot said, without a trace of irony. Kaylea followed his gaze.  
“Are they still projecting that old thing?” She looked at it with a frown, then reached for her husband’s hand. “But I have always liked that picture.”  
Though it was very weird to see himself a hundred meters high on a building advertising someone else’s jewelry, Thorin had to admit the photographer had captured the intimacy between the two of them in a way that most pictures did not. He interlaced his fingers with hers, smiling back at her. “But those rings are hideous,” he said. “Even I could not save them.”  
Kaylea shook her head at him. “Let’s go see what the Vorlon wants.”  
The interior of the Vorlon embassy was a simple large, open space. Vorlon technology was partly organic and the hall did not look constructed, more like it had grown there. The walls had an odd pattern moving over them, like some living thing breathing. Perhaps the building was drawing out the Vorlon atmosphere to accommodate their guests. Almost nothing was known about the Vorlon homeworld, since they always appeared in survival suits it was assumed the atmosphere was much different. They moved a few meters into the hall before Pilot held up a hand.  
“Here we wait,” he said, the end of his long tail twitching. Vorlons had strong telepathic ability, and respected the power of the Kzin caste, which was why Pilot was here. After a few minutes a suited figure stepped through the opposite wall and walked toward them. The three Sardaukar bowed formally when it stopped before them.  
“Greetings,” the suit said, in a computer-generated voice. “Thank you for coming.”  
“Greetings, Ambassador Kosh,” Kaylea replied. “We are here, as you requested.”  
The Vorlon’s attention seemed to be focused on Thorin, he was tilting his head one way and then the other, as if trying to see him better. Thorin could feel tension radiating from Pilot and assumed there was some kind of telepathic fencing going on. He crossed his arms and stared back at the black faceshield, it was the first time he had been in the presence of a Vorlon and he was wondering what they had to hide. Were they incredibly ugly?  
Kosh made an odd rumbling noise that could have been laughter. “Ah, this one! One who has two lives. One you gave for your kingdom. How will you choose this time?”  
Before Thorin could answer he heard Kaylea draw a deep breath. “Kosh, I understand you have a message for Blackwolf.”  
The ambassador turned away from Thorin and extended his hand to Kaylea, in it was a small black case. “Blackwolf’s choice,” the Vorlon said. She took the case and without another word the suit turned and walked back the way it had come.  
“Time to go,” Pilot said, motioning toward the door. They walked back outside and stood for a moment in Trantor’s orange sun. As soon as he was out of the building Thorin felt as if a great weight had been lifted from him, like he had been pressed in a vise. He could hear the Kzin taking deep breaths and growling softly.  
“What was that all about?” He asked as they stepped back into the transport. Pilot shook his head and lay back in his seat.  
“He gave me an information dump, but it will be days before I can make any sense of it,” the Kzin said. “I hate Vorlons.” He closed his eyes.  
Kaylea slipped the case into her pocket. “You could have said no.”  
Pilot turned his head to look at her. “And let you go in there unprotected? I think not.” He closed his eyes again. “Whatever this is all about it has something to do with Middle Earth, I can make out that much. And he was trying to get something out of Thorin. I lost track of how many blocks I had to lay down.”  
“The Vorlons have been to Middle Earth?” Thorin frowned. He had never liked the idea of the Kzin being in his head, having a Vorlon in there he liked even less.  
“The Vorlons have been everywhere, there are few planets that have not felt their influence,” Kaylea said. “And what they say usually makes no sense because they do not perceive time in the same way we do. They do not see past and future, all is one to them. Kosh may have been addressing you in some other time.”  
“He thinks I will must make some choice, in the future?”  
Kaylea nodded. “You and Blackwolf both, apparently.” She looked out the window thoughtfully as they sped through the city to the spaceport. “Kosh once told me something that made no sense until 50 years later, I suddenly realized what he had been talking about.”  
“I understood the part about two lives,” Thorin mused. “I would have died at the Battle of the Five Armies if you had not been there. However, if there is some new threat to Middle Earth, I wish he had made it clear.”  
Kaylea chuckled at him. “Vorlons talk in circles. Asking him to explain would only make it worse,” she said. “Blackwolf knows we will be in Erebor soon. If Kosh’s message means some action needs to be taken, he will let us know.”  
Thorin shook his head. “You have more confidence in that Elf than I do.” Talking to Kosh had reminded him of the conversations he once had with Gandalf, perhaps Vorlons were the galaxy’s wizards. He found he did very much want to know what they looked like.

II.

It was graduation day on Belka, the base of operations for the Sardaukar. Of the three thousand that had started training three years ago, less than three hundred were lined up in the largest training dojo. On a warm autumn day, the old building was a cool refuge from Belka’s relentless sun, the big space quiet except for the shifting of dress boots on the polished wood floor. The graduates stood in neat rows, waiting their turn to walk forward to where Kaylea would give them their bars and first assignments. The division commanders stood beside her to shake each soldier’s hand in turn. That was the way of the Sardaukar, everyone was respected as equals. Thorin made his way over to the side where the squad members of the other commanders were standing. Though they were on the Sardaukar base and perfectly safe Thorin still found himself automatically scanning the faces around him, planning exit routes, thinking about the speed of response in Belka’s heavy gravity, measuring the steps he would need to take to protect his wife.  
As Thorin watched the soldiers file forward he saw several of them point him out to each other. It made him smile, remembering he was famously the only graduate in the history of the Sardaukar to give General Wolf a kiss. He had always told her he would graduate first in his class, he ended up third, after a Graham and a Sinclair. Pretty respectable for a recruit from a primitive culture. As training was coming to an end a common subject among the troops was what they were going to do when they graduated. Thorin’s answer had always been “Kiss my wife,” so that was what he had done. Thorin had not talked much about her during training, he did not want to insinuate he expected any special treatment, and it turned out that most of the men he served with thought their marriage was some kind of corps rumor. Watching her now talking to the new graduates, Thorin felt he was beginning to like that dress uniform. The closely tailored short jacket and pants tucked into riding boots showed off her body better than her usual fatigues. She had started wearing her braids loose, instead of braided back with her hair. Thorin preferred her with her hair down, but with the braids and beads it was a proper Dwarven style. Most of the other commanders he now knew well, Ian and Kensie Graham, Hyway Sinclair, Pierce Matrix, Mouser Kent and, Kel Ra-Tiri the commander of the Kzin division. The Kzin looked even more imposing than usual in the armored breastplate and long cloak that made up his dress uniform. He stood next to Kaylea, dispensing bars and orders to the Kzin graduates.  
When the last soldier had received his bars he turned toward the assembled troops and led them in three cheers, then they all snapped to attention and saluted their commanders. Kaylea returned the salute, a smile of pride on her face, before Ian turned them loose for some much-deserved leave. The hall came alive with a sudden buzz of conversation, the sounds of congratulations and celebration echoing across the room.

Half an hour later Kaylea was sitting down in the big Base One conference room with all her division commanders. Past the transparent outer wall the red rock cliffs of Belka shimmered in the afternoon heat. There were usually only a couple of times a year when all the commanders were together in the same room, though they met weekly by remote. As they took their seats at the table Thorin found a chair along the side of the room with other members of the command senior staff. He was thinking the Kzin commander looked much smaller as a remote. Spending so much time with Pilot he always forgot how much larger members of the Kzin Warrior caste really were. He had barely sat down before Colonel Matrix was waving him to sit at the conference table.  
“Pull up a chair, Erebor,” he said with a smile. “Don’t be shy.”  
“Shyness is not one of my husband’s personality traits,” Kaylea said, smiling at Thorin as he took a seat beside her. They both knew this was a prelude to Matrix asking him to join his command. She swiped her tablet. “So, first order of business. The Minbari frontier, I think we are all agreed we need an increased presence there.”  
There was much to discuss and the meeting went on for some time. Thorin had been sitting in on his wife’s remote staff meetings for a few of years now, after the other command staff got tired of her leaning back out of the holo to listen to his suggestions. At the end of the meeting, the subject of Hyway’s retirement came up. The assignments were shuffled as Kaylea had predicted, which left an opening at second in command for Fleet. Matrix looked hard at Thorin.  
“How about it, Thorin Oakenshield? Ready to come work for me?”  
Thorin met his gaze unflinchingly. “No.”  
Matrix sat back, shaking his head. “Fleet could really use you. Sure you are not ready to take a more active role?”  
“No,” Thorin said again, scowling at the Spartan colonel. “The only reason I am in the Sardaukar is to be with my wife. Why would I take an assignment that separated me from her?”  
“You need to respect the King’s choice in this,” Kensie Graham said from down the table. Of all Kaylea’s division commanders, he and his brother Ian knew Thorin the best, having fought by his side in Moria. “He has given up much to be here.”  
“I understand that,” Matrix replied. “I just hope he knows that there are better uses for his talent.”  
Kaylea and Thorin exchanged a quick glance, both thinking about some of Thorin’s other talents. He looked up at Matrix with a slight smile. “I know you are considering what is good for the corps, but there are others more qualified, and I am perfectly happy right where I am. Promote Harlan Wallace to second, he is looking to move up.” He glanced around the table before looking back at the colonel across from him. “General Wolf made me wait seventy-five years before agreeing to marry me, then another fifteen before we finally got to live like a proper man and wife.” He put his hand on his wife’s. “The last ten years have gone by in the blink of an eye. I will not rule out the possibility I may accept a different assignment in the future, but not now.”  
Thorin did not say it, but he felt Kaylea’s squad was the best assignment in the corps. The things they had done together could fill a lifetime. He had seen more action than most, ridden sandworms across the desert of Arrakis, stood on the Ringworld, bought drinks for smugglers in a bar on the Rim that did not exist, sailed the ice oceans of Tran-Ky-Ky, and made small talk with members of the Royal Family.  
The big Kzin chuckled, swiping his tablet closed. “You Humans are so cute. Are we done?”  
Thorin scowled at Kel, he always had to bite his tongue when a Kzin referred to him as Human. I am not a Man! But he knew trying to explain the difference would be pointless, all the big cat-creatures saw was a small Human.  
Kaylea shook her head and closed her tablet. “If there is no further business, meeting adjourned.” She looked up at her command staff. “I will see a few of you at Samhain in three weeks.” With that, the meeting broke up, colonels and aides gathering up their tablets to get back to their divisions. She looked at Bauer beside her. “Are we off to Dorsai, or is there something we have to do first?”  
Bauer was shaking his head at his tablet. “There is nothing on the books, sir, but I have had several urgent requests from Orso for you to inspect the new base at Tonkin. I keep asking him why it has to be you, but he is being very evasive…he just wants to get your input, he wants to make sure it is shown in its best light, and so on.”  
Kaylea’s eyes narrowed, she drummed her fingers on the table. “What are you up to, Duke? There is no reason for me to inspect a base, that is a task for engineers…Ah, perhaps it is not me he wants to see! I wager it is Thorin.”  
“Me?” Thorin asked, surprised. “I don’t know the man.”  
“No, but you remember the Emperor’s party where you spent almost the entire evening in the map room with that engineer working on some mining problem? That was Orso’s engineer, he probably has something else he wants your opinion on. The duke made his fortune in asteroid mining, I wonder if he has found something on Tonkin.”  
Thorin remembered the it well, it was one of the most enjoyable parties he had attended so far. He found he was very interested to hear what Orso had to say. “Why does he not just ask to talk to me?”  
Bauer chuckled. “Because you can’t just call the Sardaukar and ask to speak to a regular, I’m assuming this engineer doesn’t have your contact info.” Thorin shook his head. “Orso knows if the general is coming, so are you.”  
“So, are we going?” Thorin asked Kaylea hopefully.  
“I’m filing the flight plan now,” Bauer said. “It’s four days out and back. We can get there and be back on Dorsai for the Samhain games. When you get that look, the general is not going to deny you,” Bauer’s fingers flowed over his tablet.  
Kaylea frowned at her aide. “What look?”  
“The look he gets when you say the word ‘mining’,” Bauer replied matter-of-factly. “Everybody has their thing, his is underground.” He looked up at the general questioningly. “I’m sorry, sir. Am I overstepping?”  
Kaylea shook her head. “I think you know us too well. Maybe I need a new aide.”  
“Or maybe I am finally learning how to do my job,” Bauer replied, swiping his tablet closed. “The Troyius courier has picked up the Vorlon’s package, and Pilot is on his way to Kzin. I’m with you, sir. We bounce in 60.” 

III.

Duke Orso had not started out as a rich man. His family’s holdings included a number of solar systems along the borders of Dubari and Hive space, far from the galactic center. His was the territory no one wanted, and the family fortune had been mismanaged away by the time Orso took over. But the new Duke had been building up a fleet of asteroid mining ships out on the Rim and soon put them to work on his holdings, it had taken a few years but now his House was one of the Empire’s richest. However, his territory being along two hostile borders meant he had to deal with a large presence of Imperial Troops and occasionally host the Sardaukar. He had recently been awarded a contract to improve the permanent bases and construct a new one solely for the Sardaukar, on the small planet of Tonkin located at the intersection of the three empires. A barren black planet of electrical storms and volcanic rock, it was almost bereft of vegetation, only at the bottom of deep ravines did the rock give way to thick jungles. A former Hive territory, much of the planet was honeycombed with tunnels, though they had to be enlarged and straightened to accommodate humans.  
The Duke himself was there to welcome them as the three Sardaukar walked down the ramp of Kaylea’s ship. Thorin recognized the engineer from the party, and there were two others also wearing Covenant insignia on their uniforms. Obviously, the Duke hired the best. Orso was a tall, spare man, with the look of someone who had worked hard his whole life, his body whip-thin and tanned from many suns.  
He stepped forward, holding a hand out to Kaylea. “Welcome, general. I am so glad you have come.”  
Kaylea crossed her arms, she wanted to make clear to the Duke she did not appreciate being summoned. And she could always feel Thorin bristle when another man touched her. He still had not become used to the traditional handshake greeting used in the Empire. “Why don’t we drop the pretense and you tell us why we are here, my lord.”  
The Duke shrugged. “My engineer was very impressed with Captain Oakenshield’s knowledge of mining, we are hoping to get his opinion.”  
“On what?” Thorin asked. He had been inspecting the walls of the hangar with his critical eye, he rather liked the way much of it had been left rough with occasional stripes of polished obsidian.  
One of the engineers stepped forward. “If you will follow me,” he said. He led them through the vast hanger and down a series of corridors to an area of the base that was still obviously under construction. They were in the old Hive tunnels now, twisting and narrow, they came to a stop at a security door. As the Duke entered the code for the lock Thorin put his hands on the tunnel wall, moving his fingers lightly over the black stone. He closed his eyes, as it listening. The Duke and his engineers were watching him curiously.  
Thorin smiled suddenly and opened his eyes, looking at the Duke. “What is this?”  
Orso blinked at him. “That is what we are hoping you can tell us. So far it has resisted both modeling and chemical analysis.” He motioned for Thorin to go first, Kaylea and Bauer followed close behind. The tunnel took several turns then opened up into a kind of natural fracture in the rock, a wide crack that extended a hundred feet above them and down past where they were standing like a crevasse. Running in wide veins down the rock was a kind of glowing blue stone. It looked like orridium, a nearly priceless ore found only in volcanos, but it was a very different color. Whatever this was produced its own light, orridium resembled dense green glass. Thorin stepped from one side to the other, running his fingers down the veins, then he stepped into a smaller crack in the fissure and disappeared.  
“And, we lost him,” Bauer said. He looked at Kaylea. “Sir, do we follow?”  
Kaylea sighed, the rule in the Sardaukar was the squad always stays together but she knew trying to follow Thorin underground was pointless, and there was no telling how long he would be gone. “Are these fractures fully explored?” She asked one of the engineers. The man shook his head.  
“This is part of the old Hive construction, sir. We have been here for years and still haven’t mapped all the tunnels.” He looked at where Thorin had disappeared and then back at the general. “He knew this was here before he even saw it. How?”  
Kaylea smiled slightly. “Stone speaks to him.”  
The Duke’s eyebrows shot up. “Surely you are joking.”  
“I assure you I am not, my lord. His people have been miners and craftsmen for centuries, the language of stone is in his blood.”  
Orso smiled. “Ah, so that spectacular necklace you were wearing at Lord Blackwolf’s party must have come from his land! I was wondering, I have never seen such fine work.”  
Now it was Kaylea’s turn to smile. “That was Thorin’s work.”  
“Was it indeed?” The Duke replied, obviously impressed. “That man is completely wasted in the Sardaukar. Think I can get him to come work for me?”  
They made small talk waiting for Thorin to return. Kaylea was becoming concerned, sometimes cocooned Hive Queens were found in old tunnels like these, his mind might not be shielded enough to resist one. Suddenly Thorin reappeared, out of a different crack in the rock much further along the path, a large piece of the blue gemstone in his hand. Kaylea smiled to see how blissfully happy he looked, underground he was in his element. He had tied his hair back and his uniform bore many scuffs and scrapes from working his way through the fissures. He nodded to the Duke.  
“Thank you for showing me this,” he said, admiring the rock in his hand.  
“Can you tell us what it is made out of?” One of the engineers asked.  
Thorin smiled. “Magic.”  
“I beg your pardon?” Orso was looking at him incredulously.  
Thorin turned to put his hand on one of the veins running down the rock. “It began in fire, at the planet’s core,” he said softly, as if speaking to himself. “Can you not feel the way it rises? Through the mountain, flowing up, the pressure changing it. Then lightning, a series of strikes, a strange charge running through it, deep into the planet, faster and faster. Until something threw it back.” He looked at the engineer. “Something that changed it.”  
Orso and his engineers were looking at each other as though Thorin had lost his mind. Was he really expecting them to believe it was magic?  
“The Hive Queen,” Bauer said quietly. “This was a Hive planet.” Thorin and Kaylea looked at him, nodding their agreement. It was possible.  
“She must have felt the strike was going to harm her nest and changed it somehow,” Kaylea mused. “We have always suspected they are telekinetic. It also explains why you can’t analyze the composition.”  
Orso looked around at the walls. “If that was how it was formed, we can’t create any more of it. How disappointing.” He turned to Kaylea, his voice taking on a formal tone. “However, I regret to inform you there will be a delay in the base construction, Tonkin will not be ready for occupation as scheduled.”  
“What a surprise,” Kaylea replied. “I don’t suppose you will be giving us a cut to stay quiet, my lord?”  
The Duke smiled indulgently. “I am afraid not, the Sardaukar own the base, not the mineral rights. That is explicitly stated in the contract.” He looked at the blue stone Thorin had tucked under his arm. “Consider that your hush money, that piece will be worth a fortune.”  
They filed back out through the corridor, Kaylea fell in behind Thorin wondering what he hadn’t told the Duke. She could tell he was holding something back as he talked to the engineers. Since they had come this far, they went ahead and toured the base with Orso’s aide. It was nearly complete, but Kaylea found she did have a few suggestions.  
“So, what doesn’t the Duke know?” Kaylea asked Thorin as they took their seats on her ship. Bauer was laying in the course for Dorsai. Thorin put the chunk of stone on the console in front of him, his hands moving over the controls, guiding the ship out the hangar doors.  
“Orso thinks because this looks like orridium it is the same type of stone, but this is something completely different. Try to remove it with conventional equipment and it will just shatter. Also, it will be useless for most of what Orso wants to sell it for.”  
“There must be some way to remove it,” Bauer said, nodding toward the blue stone.  
“Yes, but not with equipment; it is too delicate. I broke this out with my hands. This stone is almost like a living thing, you have to be able to read it, and not like an engineer. Any Dwarf could remove most of it without damaging it.” He chuckled. “Unless the Duke has someone with that kind of skill, I wager it won’t be long before they ask me to come back to show them how I did it.”  
“Which you are not going to do,” Kaylea finished for him.  
“I am not,” Thorin said. “I just hope he doesn’t break it all…the things we can make with this in Erebor.” His eyes took on a wistful look, no doubt imaging all the variations of the gems he could cut it into. “I already have so many plans for this.”  
Bauer was smiling, he looked over at Kaylea. “I suppose this is not the right time to tell him if he had taken that Fleet command he would be out here a few times a year?”  
Thorin gave Bauer a sideways glance. “That is very tempting. But not as tempting as my wife.” 

IV.

They landed on Dorsai two nights later in a fierce rainstorm, just running from the transport into the keep soaked them to the skin. The wind was howling up the fjord, circling Tor Graham like an animal looking for a weak spot. The keep was lit up brightly, as the clan was already gathering for Samhain. Originally a harvest festival it had grown into the most important holiday on Dorsai, a time for everyone to gather together and celebrate. All members of the clans not on active duty returned home for the feasts and games that came before the night itself. Thorin and Kaylea paused in the bright entry hall to shake themselves off, the wolves joined in, sending drops flying off their thick coats. Catherine Graham, Kensie’s wife, came in from the Great Hall to welcome them.  
“Glad to see you two made it!” She said, avoiding the still shaking wolves. “You’ve missed the family dinner, but there is a spread laid out in the Long Hall. There will be music later, come down and join us after you get cleaned up.”  
Kaylea assured her they would be and let Thorin lead the way to their quarters. They were only halfway up the stairs when they met Donal Graham coming down.  
“Erebor, glad to see you! I hope I can count on you for the Capture Team again this year!” Donal said eagerly. All the clans competed in a series of challenges in the week before Samhain. After his marriage to Kaylea, Thorin had been accepted as a member of Clan Graham and was always in demand for the teams. He was a well-known primitive weapons expert, a deadshot with a rifle and had led several successful banner captures in previous years.  
Thorin sighed heavily. “I have not even looked at the schedule,” he said. “Let me settle in first and I’ll let you know.” He looked at his wife as Donal continued down the stairs. “Why do you always get out of these things?”  
“Ian, Kensie and I were banned years ago. Our presence is considered an unfair advantage.” Kaylea reached for his hand. “You can sit out if you want to, husband.”  
“That wouldn’t be very sporting,” Thorin replied. “I’m just tired. I keep thinking about our conversation with that Vorlon.”  
“We will be in Erebor soon. We will have time to travel the country and see for ourselves if there is some new threat, if that will put your mind at ease.”  
“Yes, we should do that. I don’t want to rely solely on Blackwolf, if the threat is to my people he may not think it important.”  
It felt good to be back on Dorsai, they had been gone almost a year. The stone Tor had become like a second home to Thorin, almost as familiar as his own halls of Erebor. Once they were in their rooms and had put down their bags, Kaylea threw Thorin a towel and started drying her hair. “Let’s get out of these clothes and go downstairs. We can get some dinner and listen to the music. What do you think, my king?”  
Thorin pulled her against him, his fingers traveling up over her wet shirt. “I stopped listening after ‘get out of these clothes’,” he said. He opened her shirt and kissed her breast softly, running his tongue around her nipple.  
Kaylea gasped, feeling herself respond to Thorin’s touch. After their years together he could play her body like a fine instrument, and she knew his body as well as her own. She could turn his passion off if she needed to, but there was no need for that tonight. They stripped each other’s clothes off slowly, exploring one another’s bodies with touches and tongues, prolonging the moment. Thorin entered her slowly, almost teasingly, keeping his pace slow and deliberate until Kaylea was practically screaming for release and rolled him onto his back to take them both to a blinding, euphoric finish. After, they lay together breathing hard, wrapped in each other’s arms.  
“I love you, husband.”  
Thorin brushed her hair back over her shoulder. “I think I love you more every day, wife. You know, if you had not made me wait so long, we could be celebrating our 100th anniversary next year.” 

In Tor Graham the Great Hall was for the lords and ladies, built to impress, the Long Hall was for everyday. Less grand, with carved wood ceiling and walls, long tables set along the sides to leave a wide center space. The weapons decorating the walls here were often put to use in impromptu sparring matches, or to settle an argument about proper technique. Tonight the tables were laid with an impressive feast, wood fires burning brightly in both hearths, the heavy rain beating on the windows felt far away.  
Thorin and Kaylea came in just after the band started playing. She had changed into a blue dress with silver threads that sparkled in the soft light, like the gems in her hair. Thorin was wearing one of his embroidered silk shirts from Erebor, not buttoned all the way tonight, and soft black trousers. There were a couple hundred clan members already there, the celebration well underway. As they browsed the food laid out on the tables Thorin was approached by the captains of several more clan teams to recruit him for the games, he was glad he had taken time to review the schedule.  
After mingling for a time, they stood together near one of the hearths listening to the music. The band was very good, playing a series of spritely tunes of traditional Dorsai music, there were already a number of clan members dancing on the wide floor.  
Thorin put his glass down and offered Kaylea his hand. “Will you give me the honor of this dance, my lady?”  
Kaylea frowned at him. “When did you learn to dance?”  
Thorin grinned. “There are still many things you do not know about me, my love.”  
Kaylea looked at him curiously as he led her out onto the floor, wondering when he had learned the Dorsai dances. She had never before seen Thorin dance, not even in Erebor. He could sing and played the harp expertly but she had always assumed dancing was not one of his interests. Kaylea had missed it, as she was an excellent dancer and had been known to clear the floor with the right partner, but she had long ago accepted it was not a skill they shared. They took their places just as and the band started a new tune, a kind of reel that required a number of different steps. Thorin surprised her by doing it expertly, without any hesitation, and then the second dance which required a number of intricate partner changes. When they started their third dance a number of the other couples had already moved back to watch. She shook her head at him as they turned around the floor.  
“How long have you been practicing this?” Kaylea asked him.  
Thorin only smiled slyly. It appeared even after all this time, he could still surprise her.


End file.
